What is up with Baltimore's highways? (Frederick, Cumberland: home, unemployment rate, living)

[jonjj]

westsideboy, Like I mentioned earlier I applaud your advocacy for your county. But, in the debate, try to keep your facts separate from your opinions. You'll go much farther with your issues.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by jonjj

There are horse farms in Garrett County far away from the urban masses. There is also a lot of money out that way. Don't forget that rural Maryland goes both ways--not just west. There is plenty of rural wealth on the eastern shore also. Yes, the income average may be higher in Baltimore. Tell that to the poor folks who live here. It doesn't mean a thing.

Alot of money in Garrett County? Oh, you mean "the Lake." Most of them aren't our people. It is people down your way buying up vacation properties and rural retreats. Even with those folks considered, Garrett County suffers from extremely low per capita income and high poverty rates.

You want to cherry pick out a few rich people in the rural areas? Sure, your city has got them too. In fact you may find the Household Income Distribution charts on these two pages illustrative as well. Both of our cities follow the same general curve, and Baltimore does have a higher % of the lowest of the low, but overall, again, the general population of Cumberland is more skewed towards the low end of the spectrum than Baltimore.

https://www.city-data.com/city/Cumberland-Maryland.html

https://www.city-data.com/city/Baltimore-Maryland.html

I am sorry if these stats blow up the meme that "Baltimore is the poorest place in the state" and "Baltimore is in such bad shape because it is poor." There are places poorer than Baltimore in the state, yet don't have the same magnitude of problems. I don't think a regressive gas tax for the entire state and some new rail lines are going to fix that.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by jonjj

westsideboy, Like I mentioned earlier I applaud your advocacy for your county. But, in the debate, try to keep your facts separate from your opinions. You'll go much farther with your issues.

And I applaud your advocacy too.

I gave you the facts. The rural counties in Maryland are the poorest places. You can put Baltimore City in the same general catagory too, but the numbers are what the number are.


Edit: Ok, yeah my comments did come across as pretty crass. I should have phrased it differently. I apologize. If somebody said something similar about my community, I would have been much more cross than you. Take pride in your discretion, most people come around to the facts without having to be as nasty I was.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by InvaderBryce

I don't understand how you expect the state to subsidize mass transit w/o a gas tax? Unless of course you'd be open to the state raising the sales, income and estate taxes just to offset the cost.

I don't care if the state expands mass transit. Our community shouldn't be taxed more so you guys can get more. No offense, but just leave us out and do as you wish. We can't afford more taxes, especially when we won't see the benefit.

[jonjj]

From Wikipedia: Maryland locations by per capita income - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maryland counties ranked by per capita income
There are twenty-three counties and one independent city located in Maryland, four of which are in the 100 richest counties in the country.[2]
RankNational
RankCountyPer Capita
IncomeMedian House-
hold Income115Montgomery County$35,684$71,551229Howard County$32,402$74,167370Talbot County$28,164$43,532482Anne Arundel County$27,578$61,7685108Queen Anne's County$26,364$57,0376113Baltimore County$26,167$50,6677128Calvert County$25,410$65,9458129Frederick County$25,404$60,2769176Charles County$24,285$62,19910179Harford County$24,232$57,23411198Carroll County$23,829$60,02112223Prince George's County$23,360$55,25613268St. Mary's County$22,662$54,70614278Worcester County$22,505$40,65015367Kent County$21,573$39,86916392Cecil County$21,384$50,51017566Washington County$20,062$40,61718747Wicomico County$19,171$39,03519800Dorchester County$18,929$34,077201400Caroline County$17,275$38,832211550Baltimore City$16,978$30,078221650Allegany County$16,780$30,821231901Garrett County$16,219$32,238242009Somerset County$15,965$29,903

It's interesting that the median household income is actually higher in Allegany and Garrett County than Baltimore City.

[InvaderBryce]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

I don't care if the state expands mass transit. Our community shouldn't be taxed more so you guys can get more. No offense, but just leave us out and do as you wish. We can't afford more taxes, especially when we won't see the benefit.

I doubt Calvert will be getting mass transit anytime soon.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

Finally someone who agrees with me. In the 70s, 83, 70, and 95 were all supposed to come together in downtown Baltimore. But the liberal radical community organizer, now corrupt politician Barbara Mikulski led "freeway revolts" to save the inner city neighborhoods which are basically destroyed by crime and drugs anyway.I imagine Mikulski was a lot like the young rabble rousing Obama in her younger days. It would be much better if 83 connected to 95, especially if you are trying to drive from DC to Towson. And especially with I-70 not going downtown like it was planned, it would make the commute from Howard County to downtown so much easier. We have a terrible freeway network. And also whats with the SINGLE LANE ramps from 95 to 695, from 95 to 395, from 70 to 695. There is ONE LANE from 95 southbound going to 695 east to Essex. ONE LANE from 95 south to 395. ONE LANE from 95 north to 695 west toward Towson. In Houston or Dallas or even Charlotte or Nashville it would be at least 2 lanes in these instances!!!

This is what we get when we have people like Mikulski and Pelosi here in Maryland.

First, can't you ever make a point without it always being an opportunity for you to bash President Obama, Senator Mikulski, Governor O'Malley or whoever the liberal du jour is? Okay, you don't like liberals. We get it already.

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

No we DO NOT need the Red LIne built. First of all, it will be funded by either a gas tax increase or a sales tax increase. I live in Baltimore County (east side) and against it. Even though it serves the Baltimore area!!!! You think someone living in Hagerstown or Salisbury will support paying extra taxes to fund it??????!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?! Our state needs to stop raiding the transportation fund and spend the moneys on road repairs first to prevent these ridiculous toll hikes first of all.

Money spent on mass transit is money that is not used on our highways. Plus most people in the suburbs do NOT want a new train built, many don't even want commuter buses going there. O'Malley actually tried to force a commuter bus into Westminster against the wishes of local residents....I mean aren't we a democratic nation where the will of the people is supreme? Most of us are against a gas tax or sales tax increase to fund it. Why don't they put it on the budget, if we want a tax inrease to fund transit, like they have done ballot measures around Atlanta?

Second, it may take a long time but at least Maryland manages to get some mass transit projects funded and completed. The reason that Atlanta trafiic is so bad is because they have so much resistance to approving projects, much less funding them.

Tom, no matter how much you don't like it and how much you refuse to accept it, the truth is the only viable long-term solution to traffic gridlock is to lessen the number of vehicles on the road and the only alternative to do that is mass transit.

If you have a better and more feasible solution, I'm sure we would all love to hear it.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by jonjj

From Wikipedia: Maryland locations by per capita income - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maryland counties ranked by per capita income
There are twenty-three counties and one independent city located in Maryland, four of which are in the 100 richest counties in the country.[2]
RankNational
RankCountyPer Capita
IncomeMedian House-
hold Income115Montgomery County$35,684$71,551229Howard County$32,402$74,167370Talbot County$28,164$43,532482Anne Arundel County$27,578$61,7685108Queen Anne's County$26,364$57,0376113Baltimore County$26,167$50,6677128Calvert County$25,410$65,9458129Frederick County$25,404$60,2769176Charles County$24,285$62,19910179Harford County$24,232$57,23411198Carroll County$23,829$60,02112223Prince George's County$23,360$55,25613268St. Mary's County$22,662$54,70614278Worcester County$22,505$40,65015367Kent County$21,573$39,86916392Cecil County$21,384$50,51017566Washington County$20,062$40,61718747Wicomico County$19,171$39,03519800Dorchester County$18,929$34,077201400Caroline County$17,275$38,832211550Baltimore City$16,978$30,078221650Allegany County$16,780$30,821231901Garrett County$16,219$32,238242009Somerset County$15,965$29,903

It's interesting that the median household income is actually higher in Allegany and Garrett County than Baltimore City.

I guess as a County we got you licked by about 750 bucks.

I am content to say that both our communities are pretty darn poor. Cumberland slightly worse than Baltimore, Allegany County as a whole slightly better. So maybe a revised statement is that the poorest parts of Maryland are the most urban and most rural. The urban centers in rural places like Cumberland, and I suspect Cambridge, Crisfield, Salisbury, are probably the lowest of the low.

When it comes to the topic at hand, the gas tax, It may benefit Baltimore City, which would make it somewhat useful for you guys to pay in. It isn't going to help us, it is just another tax we can't afford. That is my only point. Sorry again for being an a$$.

It has nothing to do with Baltimore, just a frustrating day here in Cumberland. It is always hard to look at the data and see how poorly Cumberland compares to the rest of the state, we used to be a powerhouse. It made me my both sad that we have sunk so low and somewhat angry that our plight is largely not understood by many in the state because of our isolation and the general attitude that since we are small and "out there" our needs matter less. I am sure you know the feeling too. Ok, I am clocking out.

[rfp]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

... we used to be a powerhouse ...

When was that? 1904?

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Ok, I am clocking out.

Mind the door on your way out.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by rfp

When was that? 1904?


Mind the door on your way out.

I licked you good buddy; a poster trying to sound clever but not understanding basic terminology as it relates to taxing mechanisms. I was even polite in doing so.

My sin is being overly intense when advocating, bordering on rude, for that I apologize. Much better than being ignorant as to the basic vocabulary of the discussion. A quick google search of "regressive tax" is all you would have had to do to catch up to the rest of us.