White Flight in Bowie?! (felony, schools, college)

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by RaisedWell

The county is not that wealthy. There are some really affluent neighborhoods that are primarily African American and that's it. There are still plenty of poor people here. I'm one of them.

Also as a teacher in the school system here I can tell you that many of our students here are from the District of Columbia. I call my area "SE extended". When all the white people moved into the District and started all the gentrification going on, where do you think all the black people moved. They didn't just disappear into the air.

If you look at the DC forum you will see hundreds of posts regarding gentrified neighborhoods that were once all-black and ghetto. (Petworth, Columbia Heights, H-Street NE, Shaw, U Street, LeDroit Park) It's so strange to see these neighborhoods now and how they've changed.

Kudos for your cut to the bone honesty.

[cpterp]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

A lot of the former residents of people who fled to Charles and Calvert were also lower income. They fled because they couldn't pay the ridiculous PG taxes anymore and were looking for more affordable housing and better schools and a better life for their family with less crime. A negative resulted in that crime has picked up in Charles County also during this influx of PG residents.

The question about these "wealthy" enclaves in PG is why the schools are still average and the median housing prices are still very low comparatively speaking to other "affluent" areas in other counties. Don't believe the Newsweek rankings because they are based on a very flawed Jay Mathews ranking methodology that only factors in the # of AP's taken divided by the # of seniors....nevermind if they pass or flunk. None of the SAT scores from the top PG schools can compare to those in the affluent areas of FFX and MC and HC.

The median price of a home in "affluent" Bowie will run you in the high $300's to low $400's. At that price range, you will find zero SFH's in McLean, Great Falls, Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase. You wouldn't even be able to buy 1/3 of a comparable house in those areas with $400k.

Well, I have heard that crime has increased in Charles, but so has the median income. Charles County is the 9th wealthiest midsized county (pop. 65K-350K) in the country. It's neighbour Calvert is the 2nd (and is wealthier than Montgomery).

As far as PG County goes, the ranked schools are at the very least very good if not excellent. I know Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most lauded schools in the region. I mean, if you're looking for utopia PG is not it, but then Fairfax county is the wealthiest county in the nation, and Howard, MoCo, Loudon and most of the other counties in the DC Area are right beside it in terms of wealth. That's setting a very high standard, not that PG shouldn't strive to be the best.

The reason why COL is cheaper in Bowie and other areas is because the negative image of the county at large heavily impacts the prices. The same thing with car insurance, even if you park your car in wealthy, 90% white Berwyn Heights you still pay more than you would in MoCo. Fort Washington is one of the wealthiest communities in the country with a median household income of $105,475. The same figure for Bethesda is $117,723. PG isn't on the same level as MoCo or some of the other extremely affluent counties, but it doesn't need to be. Not every county can be Montgomery, and I'm not saying that PG is fine the way it is, because it's definitely not, but dismissing the entire county as a ghetto or something isn't really fair.

Originally Posted by RaisedWell

The county is not that wealthy. There are some really affluent neighborhoods that are primarily African American and that's it. There are still plenty of poor people here. I'm one of them.

Also as a teacher in the school system here I can tell you that many of our students here are from the District of Columbia. I call my area "SE extended". When all the white people moved into the District and started all the gentrification going on, where do you think all the black people moved. They didn't just disappear into the air.

If you look at the DC forum you will see hundreds of posts regarding gentrified neighborhoods that were once all-black and ghetto. (Petworth, Columbia Heights, H-Street NE, Shaw, U Street, LeDroit Park) It's so strange to see these neighborhoods now and how they've changed.

Sir/ma'am I believe you have hit the nail on the head. Excellent post.

[RaisedWell]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

Kudos for your cut to the bone honesty.

I don't need no kudos from you. Some of the information you posted is very, very valuable and honest. I appreciate that. But your racist slant to a lot of your comments just dismisses you to the point that I (and a few other people here) see you as a someone who has a problem. I think you hate the fact that there are black people who are intelligent and well-off.

I don't know what your beef with the elected leadership of this county is (past and present) but I do feel you need to confront them and get over it. Get some professional help because life is too short to carry around that much hate.

Your other posts here regarding controversial matter regarding black people (Kanye, some athlete from here, etc.) all prove to us and the rest of the world wide web that something is missing in your life. Did you post this stuff to start racial debates or something? I just don't get it. Don't you know that all black people don't think alike? I was supporting McCain until Palin. I'm a registered Republican. I thought Dr. Deasy (former head of this school system) was doing an excellent job and was sorry to hear of his resignation. Does this make me anti-black? No, it makes me a just, fair, and "cut-to-the-bone" honest American citizen.

[RaisedWell]

Originally Posted by cpterp

Sir/ma'am I believe you have hit the nail on the head. Excellent post.

Thank you. Not a sir, but really appreciate your comment.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by cpterp

As far as PG County goes, the ranked schools are at the very least very good if not excellent. I know Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most lauded schools in the region. I mean, if you're looking for utopia PG is not it, but then Fairfax county is the wealthiest county in the nation, and Howard, MoCo, Loudon and most of the other counties in the DC Area are right beside it in terms of wealth. That's setting a very high standard, not that PG shouldn't strive to be the best.

Eleanor Roosevelt is a good school if you're only looking at the magnet program. Without the magnet program, it's just another PG Cty neighborhood high school.

Loudoun is actually the wealthiest for an entire cty, while FFX is 4th in the nation.

Originally Posted by cpterp

The reason why COL is cheaper in Bowie and other areas is because the negative image of the county at large heavily impacts the prices. The same thing with car insurance, even if you park your car in wealthy, 90% white Berwyn Heights you still pay more than you would in MoCo. Fort Washington is one of the wealthiest communities in the country with a median household income of $105,475. The same figure for Bethesda is $117,723. PG isn't on the same level as MoCo or some of the other extremely affluent counties, but it doesn't need to be. Not every county can be Montgomery, and I'm not saying that PG is fine the way it is, because it's definitely not, but dismissing the entire county as a ghetto or something isn't really fair.

COL in Bowie is actually not cheap. The only thing cheap in Bowie is the housing. Even in "affluent" Bowie, the median cost of a house is in the high $300's. Property taxes are high, income taxes are high, and insurance costs are high. Couple all that with a bad return on the quality of services, schools, crime control, and county governance, and the COL is worse than you think.

PG has pockets of wealth with regard to income, but that wealth is not translated into homes holding or building their value. Most of the people who live in PG have to leave the county to work (65%) and leave the county to shop. Homes are cheaper for a reason, and the reasons are all listed above.

washingtonpost.com

[lscalder]

I agree with you 100%. This poster is sick in the head and need help. His post is always negative statement about Black People. I just think the poster is one of those who are so upset that we have a Black family running America/world. I think the poster is really sad/sick/depressed and have a Black heart. I can feel the hate coming thru the computer.

This poster need to be banned.

Originally Posted by RaisedWell

I don't need no kudos from you. Some of the information you posted is very, very valuable and honest. I appreciate that. But your racist slant to a lot of your comments just dismisses you to the point that I (and a few other people here) see you as a someone who has a problem. I think you hate the fact that there are black people who are intelligent and well-off.

I don't know what your beef with the elected leadership of this county is (past and present) but I do feel you need to confront them and get over it. Get some professional help because life is too short to carry around that much hate.

Your other posts here regarding controversial matter regarding black people (Kanye, some athlete from here, etc.) all prove to us and the rest of the world wide web that something is missing in your life. Did you post this stuff to start racial debates or something? I just don't get it. Don't you know that all black people don't think alike? I was supporting McCain until Palin. I'm a registered Republican. I thought Dr. Deasy (former head of this school system) was doing an excellent job and was sorry to hear of his resignation. Does this make me anti-black? No, it makes me a just, fair, and "cut-to-the-bone" honest American citizen.

[RaisedWell]

Originally Posted by lscalder

I agree with you 100%. This poster is sick in the head and need help. His post is always negative statement about Black People. I just think the poster is one of those who are so upset that we have a Black family running America/world. I think the poster is really sad/sick/depressed and have a Black heart. I can feel the hate coming thru the computer.

This poster need to be banned.

Banned? How? This forum isn't moderated. At least, I can't tell.

I'm usually not this sarcastic, but I am mad at the world today and just decided to take out my frustration here on City-Data forum like some people do. Just trying to fit it.

BTW, I noticed an excellent post from a moderator in the NOVA forum regarding Prince Georges County. Maybe he/she could be the moderator here.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ashington.html

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by RaisedWell

I don't need no kudos from you. Some of the information you posted is very, very valuable and honest. I appreciate that. But your racist slant to a lot of your comments just dismisses you to the point that I (and a few other people here) see you as a someone who has a problem. I think you hate the fact that there are black people who are intelligent and well-off.

I don't know what your beef with the elected leadership of this county is (past and present) but I do feel you need to confront them and get over it. Get some professional help because life is too short to carry around that much hate.

Your other posts here regarding controversial matter regarding black people (Kanye, some athlete from here, etc.) all prove to us and the rest of the world wide web that something is missing in your life. Did you post this stuff to start racial debates or something? I just don't get it. Don't you know that all black people don't think alike? I was supporting McCain until Palin. I'm a registered Republican. I thought Dr. Deasy (former head of this school system) was doing an excellent job and was sorry to hear of his resignation. Does this make me anti-black? No, it makes me a just, fair, and "cut-to-the-bone" honest American citizen.

Sorry, it's not a racist slant. It's a realist slant.

Nothing that I have posted hasn't been backed up with data.

It's just that people can't handle the truth, and rather live in their cocoon while trying to tell everybody that their world is better than everybody else's world.

Sorry, but the truth is what it is.

I laugh at the elected leadership in PG. I'm glad my tax dollars aren't funding their trips to africa, their dry cleaning, and paying off their kid's tuitions. If you don't mind that, then that's on you.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by lscalder

I agree with you 100%. This poster is sick in the head and need help. His post is always negative statement about Black People. I just think the poster is one of those who are so upset that we have a Black family running America/world. I think the poster is really sad/sick/depressed and have a Black heart. I can feel the hate coming thru the computer.

This poster need to be banned.

Sorry if you can't handle the truth.

Maybe you can explain how a so called "affluent" area has a median housing cost in the high $300's. You like to dodge the facts...never address the data because you can't.

[RaisedWell]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

Sorry, it's not a racist slant. It's a realist slant.

Nothing that I have posted hasn't been backed up with data.

It's just that people can't handle the truth, and rather live in their cocoon while trying to tell everybody that their world is better than everybody else's world.

Sorry, but the truth is what it is.

I laugh at the elected leadership in PG. I'm glad my tax dollars aren't funding their trips to africa, their dry cleaning, and paying off their kid's tuitions. If you don't mind that, then that's on you.

Yes, I do mind but what does that have to do with you? Why are you on such a mission? Who in Prince Georges hurt your feelings that much?

I didn't vote for none of those people but what does that have to do with you? I appreciate truth and honesty but you know darn well, at the same time, you're making comments that lean towards being a racist.