Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Cumberland. The town used to have a lot of high paid blue collar factory jobs and then all the factories were shut down by the 80s-90s. I moved there in the 90s and it was a safe place to grow up, although boring because the average age of the town seemed to be 70+. It was basically a retirement community for all the retired factory workers. Like someone said earlier, once the multiple prisons came in, it all changed. The drugs literally flooded in soon there after and the zombies started crawling around downtown. A large majority of the people I went to school with are prison guards as it’s basically the only well paid job left around there. I rarely go back other than for the occasional holiday, it’s turned into a real sketchy place..

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Anonymous wrote:Combined, the three counties of Western Maryland have four percent of the state's population. Even throwing in Frederick County and you're barely at eight percent. And they insist on electing nutjob Republicans in a deeply blue state. The combination explains their complete marginalization. Duh.

Local people in Frederick County do NOT identify with DCUMland. I lived in Frederick County for many years.

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Anonymous wrote:I was recently in Cumberland, MD. It was my first time. I was so shocked by the poverty juxtaposed to the beauty. To the despair as compared to the potential for that town. The bones are there. It’s in a beautiful setting. Can it be revived? I could see people moving in and buying cheap houses and setting up cafes and breweries and small shops. Not sure that will help the locals but I’d love to see this happen to that town that has good bones.

But who would frequent those businesses to keep them afloat? The locals wouldn't be able to afford those types of businesses. Who would be their customer base? Cumberland is too poverty stricken to make it a weekend getaway type destination.

Plus, how would it help the locals? All these cute stores wouldn't be able to provide a living wage to support a family for years and years. Creating a tax base would help - until the local politicians start blabbering about how taxes are too high/taxes need to be cut on businesses to attract even more businesses. Then the locals fall for that, vote for it and the cycle continues.

I guess I am thinking rich dmv folks would live there. Buy up the houses, fix them and work from home from there and provide jobs to locals. With work from home becoming more prevalent, I’d consider a move like that….once my kids leave the nest but Cumberland as it is doesn’t feel safe. I just can see it turning. It needs a lot!!!

If they’re WFH how would they be providing jobs to locals?

One spouse is working from home; other spouse opens a cafe. There’s potential and ideas but it needs to happen as a trend or it won’t work. But people are tired of dmv prices. People also love the outdoors. Cumberland isn’t oppressively far from occasional trips into dmv area for work etc. Cute towns close to the dmv in nova have all gotten an influx of “revival” because people want breathing room. I see the potential for Cumberland.

So there’s how many jobs: 5? 10 at most? People being paid $10-$15 an hour? This is not the economic boon that area needs. They need industry and opportunities for people with college degrees.

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Anonymous wrote:Cumberland and Baltimore are two sides of the same coin; both ruined by industry leaving, both dealing with politicians who do not care, both dealing with brain drain.

The only difference is that Baltimore HAS stuff going for it, like the Port of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, etc. to keep it afloat and at least relevant.

the extreme poverty in parts of Baltimore is also due to redlining though.

But even more due to similar problems as plague Cumberland, with a much larger number of low-skilled, poverty-stricken residents who blame others for all their problems.

Where have you found that low-skilled, impoverished people blame others for their problems?

You can't be serious.

I am dead serious. I suspect you don’t actually know any people who fit that description.

LOL, you don't think that many folks in this situation blame undocumented immigrants, for example? I'll bet YOU don't know anybody in this situation, not me!

I actually WAS in that situation (on food stamps and got cash assistance), and I never thought my problems were due to someone else. But please go ahead and malign society’s most vulnerable.

Anonymous wrote:How do other small towns with no industry survive? Genuine question. At least Cumberland has the outdoors to sell.

Anonymous wrote:Combined, the three counties of Western Maryland have four percent of the state's population. Even throwing in Frederick County and you're barely at eight percent. And they insist on electing nutjob Republicans in a deeply blue state. The combination explains their complete marginalization. Duh.

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Anonymous wrote:I was recently in Cumberland, MD. It was my first time. I was so shocked by the poverty juxtaposed to the beauty. To the despair as compared to the potential for that town. The bones are there. It’s in a beautiful setting. Can it be revived? I could see people moving in and buying cheap houses and setting up cafes and breweries and small shops. Not sure that will help the locals but I’d love to see this happen to that town that has good bones.

But who would frequent those businesses to keep them afloat? The locals wouldn't be able to afford those types of businesses. Who would be their customer base? Cumberland is too poverty stricken to make it a weekend getaway type destination.

Plus, how would it help the locals? All these cute stores wouldn't be able to provide a living wage to support a family for years and years. Creating a tax base would help - until the local politicians start blabbering about how taxes are too high/taxes need to be cut on businesses to attract even more businesses. Then the locals fall for that, vote for it and the cycle continues.

I guess I am thinking rich dmv folks would live there. Buy up the houses, fix them and work from home from there and provide jobs to locals. With work from home becoming more prevalent, I’d consider a move like that….once my kids leave the nest but Cumberland as it is doesn’t feel safe. I just can see it turning. It needs a lot!!!

Why? Do all other small towns have those opportunities? How do they thrive? Not being snarky but I am genuinely curious because not every small town has that. Plus, Frostburg is close by. Lots of need for college educated there. It doesn’t need to be a second rate university.

If they’re WFH how would they be providing jobs to locals?

One spouse is working from home; other spouse opens a cafe. There’s potential and ideas but it needs to happen as a trend or it won’t work. But people are tired of dmv prices. People also love the outdoors. Cumberland isn’t oppressively far from occasional trips into dmv area for work etc. Cute towns close to the dmv in nova have all gotten an influx of “revival” because people want breathing room. I see the potential for Cumberland.

So there’s how many jobs: 5? 10 at most? People being paid $10-$15 an hour? This is not the economic boon that area needs. They need industry and opportunities for people with college degrees.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I was recently in Cumberland, MD. It was my first time. I was so shocked by the poverty juxtaposed to the beauty. To the despair as compared to the potential for that town. The bones are there. It’s in a beautiful setting. Can it be revived? I could see people moving in and buying cheap houses and setting up cafes and breweries and small shops. Not sure that will help the locals but I’d love to see this happen to that town that has good bones.

But who would frequent those businesses to keep them afloat? The locals wouldn't be able to afford those types of businesses. Who would be their customer base? Cumberland is too poverty stricken to make it a weekend getaway type destination.

Plus, how would it help the locals? All these cute stores wouldn't be able to provide a living wage to support a family for years and years. Creating a tax base would help - until the local politicians start blabbering about how taxes are too high/taxes need to be cut on businesses to attract even more businesses. Then the locals fall for that, vote for it and the cycle continues.

I guess I am thinking rich dmv folks would live there. Buy up the houses, fix them and work from home from there and provide jobs to locals. With work from home becoming more prevalent, I’d consider a move like that….once my kids leave the nest but Cumberland as it is doesn’t feel safe. I just can see it turning. It needs a lot!!!

If they’re WFH how would they be providing jobs to locals?

One spouse is working from home; other spouse opens a cafe. There’s potential and ideas but it needs to happen as a trend or it won’t work. But people are tired of dmv prices. People also love the outdoors. Cumberland isn’t oppressively far from occasional trips into dmv area for work etc. Cute towns close to the dmv in nova have all gotten an influx of “revival” because people want breathing room. I see the potential for Cumberland.

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Anonymous wrote:Cumberland and Baltimore are two sides of the same coin; both ruined by industry leaving, both dealing with politicians who do not care, both dealing with brain drain.

The only difference is that Baltimore HAS stuff going for it, like the Port of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, etc. to keep it afloat and at least relevant.

the extreme poverty in parts of Baltimore is also due to redlining though.

But even more due to similar problems as plague Cumberland, with a much larger number of low-skilled, poverty-stricken residents who blame others for all their problems.

Where have you found that low-skilled, impoverished people blame others for their problems?

You can't be serious.

I am dead serious. I suspect you don’t actually know any people who fit that description.

LOL, you don't think that many folks in this situation blame undocumented immigrants, for example? I'll bet YOU don't know anybody in this situation, not me!