How has MoCo declined since you’ve lived here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grew up here. Lived here for 51 years.

The explosion of homeless and panhandlers on almost every corner is the biggest thing I notice. Also the influx of undocumented people, and gang culture that accompanies it. Taxes only go up. Never flat, never down, only up.

Where are you? I don't see that often in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grew up here. Lived here for 51 years.

The explosion of homeless and panhandlers on almost every corner is the biggest thing I notice. Also the influx of undocumented people, and gang culture that accompanies it. Taxes only go up. Never flat, never down, only up.

Where are you? I don't see that often in the county.

While I agree these are all issues in MoCo, they seem to be getting better now where we are than worse. Maybe they are moving over to Germantown?

[Anonymous]

I live near Wheaton and don't see panhandlers .. so where are they? In Bethesda?

I'm not a long time resident but in the Wheaton and silver spring area there are lots of new things being developed and people seem pretty optimistic about the future of these areas

[Anonymous]

The purple line will make things better too

But I admit I am worried about the future of the county

Don't want us to become a county where you move in when you have little and need much and move out when you have a lot and are tired of paying for stuff for other people

[Anonymous]

It might be that the people who complain about the decline of Montgomery county are people who live far away from transit

[Anonymous]

Clarksburg resident here. Moved here in the early 80s as a kid from a different country. We lived in an apt in Silver Spring and trust me, the Wheaton now is nothing like it was back then. Wheaton, Silver Spring has drastically improved. Even schools there are on an upward trajectory, not just Blair - Einstein, Wheaton HS which now has an awesome engineering and biomed program. Bethesda which has always been nice is even nicer now and more expensive. Rockville, Gaithersburg has improved. People from all over are building homes in Clarksburg which was practically non-existent then. The downsides now; school overcrowding as a result of too many people coming here and traffic. Yes, there's also illegal immigration but this is not unique to MoCo. This is happening all over the country. I've lived in NY and Fairfax, and now back here with my family and I dont care what anyone says, this has always been a great place to raise a family and it still is.

[Anonymous]

It hasn’t.

[Anonymous]

1) The sides of roads have become very littered. 25 years ago when I immigrated to this country I was amazed at how clean this country was, now I see trash and litter on the sides of the the roads everywhere.

2) The roads and bridges are very old and dilapidated. 25 years ago, the roads and bridges were very well maintained without potholes and smooth even surface and without any rust. I would frequently see road crews put in a fresh layer of tar on roads during summer.

3) Beggars. They are everywhere. It is shameful and speaks very poorly of this country. My relatives who were visiting from another country took pictures because they thought it showed that US was no longer a first world country.

4) Schools. Curriculum and teaching was substandard before 2.0 and I did not believe that it could fall even more. 2.0 proved me wrong.

5) Less tress. The green spaces of the county is rapidly finishing.

6) Water quality. I could get water from the kitchen tap and find it palatable, now drinking water quality has really declined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was born here in the mid 70s. It’s poorer now, schools are still good but in decline, panhandlers everywhere in intersections, even in Germantown. Ms-13. Not sure violent crime is much higher though. There have always been a few murders and rapes.

I was also born here in the mid 1970s. The county is much more divided in terms of wealth; the area where I grew up, for example, has become much wealthier. The whole county is more segregated. The Latino population has significantly increased, and at the same time the rich, Western part of the county has gotten richer.

Schools are still good, although those with the better reputations are hampered by overcrowding. And those with the less good reputations, at least on this board, have improved from back in my day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) The sides of roads have become very littered. 25 years ago when I immigrated to this country I was amazed at how clean this country was, now I see trash and litter on the sides of the the roads everywhere.

2) The roads and bridges are very old and dilapidated. 25 years ago, the roads and bridges were very well maintained without potholes and smooth even surface and without any rust. I would frequently see road crews put in a fresh layer of tar on roads during summer.

3) Beggars. They are everywhere. It is shameful and speaks very poorly of this country. My relatives who were visiting from another country took pictures because they thought it showed that US was no longer a first world country.

4) Schools. Curriculum and teaching was substandard before 2.0 and I did not believe that it could fall even more. 2.0 proved me wrong.

5) Less tress. The green spaces of the county is rapidly finishing.

6) Water quality. I could get water from the kitchen tap and find it palatable, now drinking water quality has really declined.

Are we talking about the same place here? Where are the beggars?? FYI, 2.0 is practically over, thank goodness..but other than that, curious about the specific places you mentioned. - MoCo Resident for 30 yrs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The purple line will make things better too

But I admit I am worried about the future of the county

Don't want us to become a county where you move in when you have little and need much and move out when you have a lot and are tired of paying for stuff for other people

+1. There seems to be no recognition that if the tax burden and job situation worsens relative to DC and VA people will move or never come in the first place. People who bombastically claim they will leave the country when a president they don't like is elected are mostly full of it - it is a huge deal to move to a new country, leave your friends (and often family), find a new job, etc.

But moving from MoCo to DC or VA is pretty easy. I can be in each in 10 minutes. I wouldn't need a new job; my commute might even improve. I could keep my existing social circle. Culturally, things are the same. Life just would not be different.

I like MoCo and I moved here for a reason, even knowing it was more expensive in some ways. But if the difference becomes too extreme, it will be hard to justify staying. And if too many people with the means to easily leave do, then you lose the tax base needed for the social services desired.

[Anonymous]

30th year here... tax is out of control, school system has declined significantly, more diverse than ever before, more lower income ppl... traffic gets worse every year but other than that, it hasn't changed much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30th year here... tax is out of control, school system has declined significantly, more diverse than ever before, more lower income ppl... traffic gets worse every year but other than that, it hasn't changed much

Traffic is worse everywhere in the area.

[Anonymous]

Nice dog whistle, OP.
40 years ago, Montgomery County was much whiter and more conservative. Is that what you want?
To Make MOCo Great Again before the scary brown people came here?

[Anonymous]

It has changed a lot but for the better. The downsides that people mentioned here are a reflection of the entire DMV. The beggars, homelessness that people are claiming on here is a bit baffling.