Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

Oh c’mon! As other posters have stated, not only is it a satire site but they were making fun of him for being “sexiest!” Hardly a comment on the seriousness of his blog!

No, Adam, they're making fun of you for your questionable reporting based on dubious sources. Sorry that this thread isn't going the way you expected.

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

Oh c’mon! As other posters have stated, not only is it a satire site but they were making fun of him for being “sexiest!” Hardly a comment on the seriousness of his blog!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

Takoma Torch makes fun of everyone, since it's a parody site.

Here's their latest on Marc Elrich and "MarcMansions":
https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2025/01/25/no-way-to-address-housing-crisis-says-county-that-makes-building-housing-impossible/

Well, sure, but when making fun of something, you start with something that could be a legitimate criticism then expand on that. So when the satire of this Adam dude is about his questionable sources, there likely is a good reason they chose to focus on that.

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

Takoma Torch makes fun of everyone, since it's a parody site.

Here's their latest on Marc Elrich and "MarcMansions":
https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2025/01/25/no-way-to-address-housing-crisis-says-county-that-makes-building-housing-impossible/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

That's a satire website for godsakes.

Pagnucco is very well respected, and is always well sourced in his writing.

Hi Adam!

Anonymous wrote:Secondly, Montgomery County hardly has a generous social welfare system.

Thirdly, the immigrants of Montgomery County tend to be stratified across income from high income, diplomat kids to working class/UMC/first gen suburban kids, to lower middle class new immigrant kids. All seem to go to school and perform reasonably well, and there isnt any feelings of isolation from other kids. Montgomery County is a great place to raise kids despite what the handwringers here say.

Immigrant kids actually are the highest achievers in school so I am not sure why that is used as some sort of harbinger of decline. The decline is the school board giving up on something called teaching after COVID. Grading is almost nonexistent these days.

Some immigrant kids. It trends more by income/education level of the parents.

Terrible take, OP.

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

That's a satire website for godsakes.

Pagnucco is very well respected, and is always well sourced in his writing.

I've never heard of Adam Pagnucco, but it's not a good sign when other blogs start making fun of you:

https://takomatorch.com/index.php/2024/08/27/adam-pagnucco-declared-sexiest-man-of-moco-in-his-own-poll-according-to-his-own-sources/

Secondly, Montgomery County hardly has a generous social welfare system.

Thirdly, the immigrants of Montgomery County tend to be stratified across income from high income, diplomat kids to working class/UMC/first gen suburban kids, to lower middle class new immigrant kids. All seem to go to school and perform reasonably well, and there isnt any feelings of isolation from other kids. Montgomery County is a great place to raise kids despite what the handwringers here say.

Immigrant kids actually are the highest achievers in school so I am not sure why that is used as some sort of harbinger of decline. The decline is the school board giving up on something called teaching after COVID. Grading is almost nonexistent these days.

I dont see any parallels at all with Europe. For one, most people in Montgomery County work

Anonymous wrote:European here.

Yeah.

No.

Another European here and I concur.

European here.

Yeah.

No.

It wasn't enough that the mentally ill worrywarts became convinced you can't walk 2 blocks in DC without being murdered, now their delusions have moved onto "the immigrants" and MoCo becoming some kind of lawless third world hellhole.

All of you need to seek therapy for your paranoia.

I frequently read about MoCo's decline (Adam Pagnucco has a great series about it in his blog, Montgomery Perspective), while also following the political and economic instability in Europe. It's hard not to draw parallels.

Europe for decades had been praised by American liberals for its social market/mixed economy with high regulations, taxes that allegedly pay for nice things, and a big social welfare state. Also for their socially liberal and progressive values.

The same could be said for Montgomery County. As far as US counties go, MoCo is like the Norway of America. Or the BeNeLux of America.

But now look what's happening - unfettered immigration, new immigrants both being at odds with liberal values and straining the economic welfare system, and the double threat of excessive spending and the gravy train ending.

In Europe, it's the squeeze of energy costs and the war in Ukraine, plus the threats from the US pulling out of NATO.
In MoCo, it's the declining business environment, the state's budget shortfall, and the impending economic catastrophe coming from federal layoffs and Trump halting federal grants.

With immigration its also similar. Immigrants tend to be more socially conservative and at odds with the pro-LGBTQ policies. Lower income immigrants add to the demands on the social welfare state while also shrinking the tax base.

What will be interesting to see if what is happening in Europe will also happen in MoCo: A hard shift right. In Europe, the hard shift right is anti-immigrant; in MoCo, it will be pro-law enforcement more than anything, and presumably more pro-business and anti-spending. We will wait and see.