Anonymous wrote:20 years ago, if someone said "Montgomery County" I would think "rich."
Today, I think "socialist."
I don't even live there, but this is what I think, and this is what the rest of the area thinks. You guys are like San Francisco without the tech industry, more like drab government employees who pretend to be woke. That's the reputation anyway.
I welcome differing opinions.
What exactly is socialist? Conservatives throw this term around all the time, but what specifically do you mean by it?
I moved here from Howard County and love the incredible library system. Is that system socialist? Because it’s spreading the wealth to people who cannot acquire as many books as me?
I love the robust public transit system. There’s nothing like it in Howard County. I can drop my car off for repairs and take the bus to work, and my day is not interrupted by trying to get a ride, or having my husband follow me the night before to do a night drop-off. Is that what you consider a socialist redistribution of wealth for those who cannot afford cars or cabs or uber?
Same with the schools and police and fire services. And amazing trash and recycling services, that don’t dump tons of crap into landfills.
So what “is” socialist? I ask that sincerely. New programs that you aren’t used to? Because it’s human nature to not like change very much?
Or is it more self-centered in that you don’t want the county to provide services that don’t primarily benefit you?
When you look at service delivery and infrastructure in terms of serving an entire population and not just the well-off, the quality of life here is much better than Howard. Howard County. YMMV if you are well off and solely looking at what meets your needs. But if you are trying to build, maintain, and improve an infrastructure that supports a wide range of different types of people, Montgomery County is doing a much better job.