I take back every good thing I've ever said about Montgomery Co. (Baltimore: crime rates, how much)

[North Beach Person]

Prince Georges County is the wealthiest, best educated majority Black sub-division in the US, and that includes Atlanta. It also has just over 1/2 it's school kids on Free and Reduced Meals (FARM). Some schools have 100% others are around 12%. The County is a study in contrasts. Baltimore has it's own issues which didn't develop overnight and won't be solved any sooner.

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by Billiam

Maryland is home to the Wealthiest black Populations in America. You are ignorant by thinking you understand Maryland and know everything about a place you've never been. Again, your generalizing a few counties into a whole state. No sense there. You've way, WAY, underestimating the size of Maryland. Like I said, there is ghetto parts of Maryland, but not much of the state is that way. DC pushed a lot of its ghetto into Maryland, but other than that and Baltimore, Nope. BTW learn to understand what an inference is. Did I quote you?

Oh, back your silly dogs down please. I'm looking at census maps, It looks like an AA state. There's a strong correlation between AA and ghetto. Simple as that. Politically incorrect, but true. Further, that credible sources indicate Md. has almost 3x the AA population as average. So seems a reasonable expectation that there's more ghetto to Md. than average.

All valid extrapolations from available data. But never was there any claim that I understood the area. If I did, why would I invite comments, LOL!

So I mentioned Baltimore. That seems to have hit a nerve. Sorry.

You stated in the affirmative that I was claiming "All of Md. is Baltimore" or some such. I did not. Unless we have some state that is also co-bounded by a city's boundaries, that's no state in the union. DOH! We do do have a few counties/cities that fit that sort of description. I think JAX is one?

Anyway, I never said I understood everything about Md. or even Baltimore. I wouldn't even claim that about my own home town.

One thing I definitely detect here, something I noticed the last time I was in D.C. people in you region are very politicized and ready to fight over anything. Oh well, guess that's what being near the center of Federal gov't does to people. No doubt a bit like folks over in L.A. being culturally influenced by the nearness of Hollywood, LOL!

Calm down. Can't solve a problem if you can't talk about it.

Wealthy blacks. Fine. Weren't the Gangsta Rappers shooting each other rich from CD sales? Aren't dictators in some countries rich, but killing off people in droves? Rich doesn't always equal good social conditions, as many of the rich bashers in these forums will attest.

In any event, here's quotes about PG county from Wikipedia (so I can't claim it's authoratative):

"...is the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority."

AND...

"As of 2006, the county reportedly contains the highest crime rate for the Washington Metro area, comparable to Baltimore.[9][10]"

So it would seem wealth is no insurance against crime rates. (After all, how much money did those guys on Wall Street make off with? LOL! ;-) )

Look, all I am trying to do is figure out if Maryland would be a good place to live or not. Near as I can tell the legitimate answer is, "The further away from the D.C. / Baltimore area you get, the better off you are."

Again, using the non-authoritative, but sometimes correct Wikipedia statement about Montgomery (the original subject of this thread):

" It is a part of both the Washington Metropolitan Area and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area."

So it would seem that taking this into account and the stated crime rate of PG county into account (despite it's wealth) that if you are sensitive to such things then Montgomery County is a place to avoid, at the very least.

And, I suspect that for Md. as a whole, like everywhere else, it depends on whether you have to go into the metro areas to live or not, what your perceived quality of life will be. (But just my guess from "on paper" data.)

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Prince Georges County is the wealthiest, best educated majority Black sub-division in the US, and that includes Atlanta. It also has just over 1/2 it's school kids on Free and Reduced Meals (FARM). Some schools have 100% others are around 12%. The County is a study in contrasts. Baltimore has it's own issues which didn't develop overnight and won't be solved any sooner.

Hmm.... interesting. So what seems to be at the root of the problems? (I know, I know... money, of course. But still a serious question.)

As a county Palm Beach County is similar. Very wealthy folks on the islands like Jupiter and Palm Beach. Drive bys and poverty in West Palm and Belle Glade. But PBC is a huge county. roughly 60 miles by 60 miles.

Funny we have money to bail out Wall Street, but not Main Street, to borrow some terms from the media. (Not meaning to start a political debate by any stretch, but it does seem ironic that we found 700 billion to dump into WS but not to solve other structural problems.)

Found this on Wikipedia about PG county, so I can't say it's authorative:

"As of 2006, the county reportedly contains the highest crime rate for the Washington Metro area, comparable to Baltimore.[9][10]"

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Billiam

Maryland's Predominantly getto? WOAH. i must be missing something, HUGE. Ive managed not to see a ghetto in most parts of the state. Holy ^@#%. And Never seen one in Montgomery County, where of course according to most people hear including Jmadison, has nothing going for it. Wow, you learn Something new and not very accurate every day

I would consider Wheaton and parts of Silver Spring/White Oak to be ghetto. For example the people who go to Wheaton Plaza are very ghetto to me.

[Tom Lennox 70]

The area I really wonder why a minority of wealthy people would stay in are Miami and Los Angeles, especially as the illegal immigration problem multiplies.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Prince Georges County is the wealthiest, best educated majority Black sub-division in the US, and that includes Atlanta. It also has just over 1/2 it's school kids on Free and Reduced Meals (FARM). Some schools have 100% others are around 12%. The County is a study in contrasts. Baltimore has it's own issues which didn't develop overnight and won't be solved any sooner.

Blacks have begun to move south to Charles County and are being replaced by Hispanics, which could explain the high percentage to students receiving free meals.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

I would consider Wheaton and parts of Silver Spring/White Oak to be ghetto. For example the people who go to Wheaton Plaza are very ghetto to me.

I guess the word "ghetto" is a relative term.

[Regularguy123]

Wow. Some of you are great at over-generalizing, it sounds like high school kids arguing in the locker room. FYI, the term ghetto is not unique to any one race/religion, read up on your history and learn! How do some of you "latent" racists actually acquire reputation points anyway? Even though I do not care for your attitude, you are entitled to your opinions about any topic, just try to articulate it better so we can understand the points you want to make.

Does it matter how black, white, etc... an area is in order for it to be bad? The problems you identify seem to be in lots of areas, regardless of demographics. People are very stressed about $$$, work, their future, and many other issues.

Its time to end this thread and start a new one about PG County Gripes, unless someone has additional comments about Montgomery County.

[md to nc]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

MD to NC, I lived in Montgomery County most of my life and hated everything about it...but now I'm in the Baltimore area and I'm getting a much better view of Maryland. Baltimore and its burbs do feel more southern in that people are much much nicer and more down to Earth. Though even here there are more and more Yankee transplants and yuppies moving in. Maryland is still too cold and wintry climate wise though, that goes for every county in the entire state except maybe the lower Eastern Shore which gets less snowfall. My ideal place....temperatures rarely if ever go below freezing and there is rarely if any snow.

Oh I agree, I love the weather here in NC. Plus I am closer to the SC border so I can tell a difference between where I am at and the mountain area. I also agree on the Yankee transplants, that is why I moved more south but my research did not include checking where other transplants are moving from. Next stop, rural area of NC/TN/GA area or good ol' Alabama, don't think there are many Yankees there.

[md to nc]

Originally Posted by Regularguy123

MoCo has its share of headaches much as anywhere else where overbuilding and overpopulation occurs. The roads are inadequate, homes are way overpriced and people are stressed out all the time. Someone made an accurate statement about the local Gov'ts catering to illegal aliens at the expense of taxpaying citizens with respect to the schools.

The Baltimore area is not without its headaches too - the roads are also inadequate, and crime is far worse than most if not everywhere else in the state. Why do you feel that Yankee transplants have hurt Montgomery County or anywhere else in MD more so than the home grown trash that has been on the dole for so long? The Yankees you refered to pay taxes, and have finally brought some great ethnic foods to whitebread suburbs where big box restaurants were viewed as serving good food. I'm not sure how you define "Southern," nor am I sure that folks from any region of the country are friendlier and more down to earth than anywhere else without over-generalizing. There are good, bad and ugly Yankees and Southerners.

Wow I must assume you are not from MD and if so, are you calling yourself "trash". Well this trash decided to leave MD due to the influx of those from NY/Nj whereever in the NE who wanted to push their ethnic ways on everyone. And actually I like my occassional "big box" food but I also love my downhome southern cooking unlike that greek/asian/thai crap that is all over the place now.