Anonymous wrote: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.

Anonymous wrote:If MoCo was actually becoming like Norway you would have everybody and their 3rd cousin trying to move there.

They would accept higher prices in return for free healthcare, 18 months of paid maternity, free college at UMD, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery County does not remind me of Europe - lived there for 15 years. And there isn’t a vast social safety net here - or anywhere in the country.

At the same will acknowledge the county is in decline. It does little to attract and retain businesses, which is a shame, hurts the tax base, and has affected areas like downtown Silver Spring and Rockville.

New immigrants in many part of the county need additional support, including access to jobs. This is fine, but it means there are pockets of significant poverty in parts of the county. This is exacerbated by the growing gap between rich and poor in general.

And lastly, unpopular opinion here: the county council spends its time on “attainable housing strategies” and other developer driven policies instead of shoring up businesses and other economic growth that will help MoCo grow.

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.

Anonymous wrote: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.

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

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.