Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when people have no hope. The middle class has been greatly squeezesd, and the lower class has no hope to move up. So, drugs and violence continue to grow.

When the middle class is strong, and the lower class knows they can get a great education and move up in status, hope is present, and drugs and violence decrease.

We need a wealth tax, we need giant corporations with record profits and share buybacks to pay their fair share in taxes (in some cases, they haven't paid ANY taxes), and we need to support those who need help, so they can move up, and out of the lower class

Or just put criminals in jail. The rest of us are doing fine.

It seems that you should move into a gated community where you will be surrounded by others “doing fine” and protected by private security, since you don’t seem to be comprehending that you live out in the world with poor people who are getting increasingly agitated.

I live in NE DC with other working class families. My private security is a shotgun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when people have no hope. The middle class has been greatly squeezesd, and the lower class has no hope to move up. So, drugs and violence continue to grow.

When the middle class is strong, and the lower class knows they can get a great education and move up in status, hope is present, and drugs and violence decrease.

We need a wealth tax, we need giant corporations with record profits and share buybacks to pay their fair share in taxes (in some cases, they haven't paid ANY taxes), and we need to support those who need help, so they can move up, and out of the lower class

Or just put criminals in jail. The rest of us are doing fine.

It seems that you should move into a gated community where you will be surrounded by others “doing fine” and protected by private security, since you don’t seem to be comprehending that you live out in the world with poor people who are getting increasingly agitated.

DP here.

What do you suggest? The person you’re responding to clearly thinks criminals should be held accountable for their actions. Do you disagree?

There are two very polarized groups right now when it comes to criminal justice. The far left thinks criminals are victims of society, systemic racism, poverty, and other negative factors. A lot of that is true. The far right wants law breaker in jail for the maximum amount of time, fueled by a deep need for retribution rather than for public safety. And removing law breakers from society makes society safer.

But neither is a sustainable path. Right now the far left is winning and crime is increasing. The people who suffer the increased violence are communities of color, lower income individuals, and other at-risk individuals. Who did that special needs bus driver molest? When the far right "wins," outrageous numbers of people are held in prison and their families and communities suffer their absence as well.

A reasoned, middle-of-the-road approach -- clear consequences for breaking the law, appropriate to the crime, which also increasing governmental services for non-crime societal ills like homelessness/mental health/substance abuse -- would be more effective.

We are a much too polarized society to be effective anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

+1000

The police were never defunded in MoCo. Try again.

Elrich and Council cut 25 police officer positions in 2021 for no reason other than to appease their anti-police activist constituents. There has been a move to destaff police, which is defacto defunding. Funding might go up because salaries increase, but that does not mean the department is getting additional police officers, nor does it mean it is getting the additional resources it so desperately needs.

It is nowhere near the excellent department it was just three years ago. And the responsibility for that lies squarely at the politicians' feet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when people have no hope. The middle class has been greatly squeezesd, and the lower class has no hope to move up. So, drugs and violence continue to grow.

When the middle class is strong, and the lower class knows they can get a great education and move up in status, hope is present, and drugs and violence decrease.

We need a wealth tax, we need giant corporations with record profits and share buybacks to pay their fair share in taxes (in some cases, they haven't paid ANY taxes), and we need to support those who need help, so they can move up, and out of the lower class

Or just put criminals in jail. The rest of us are doing fine.

It seems that you should move into a gated community where you will be surrounded by others “doing fine” and protected by private security, since you don’t seem to be comprehending that you live out in the world with poor people who are getting increasingly agitated.

DP here.

What do you suggest? The person you’re responding to clearly thinks criminals should be held accountable for their actions. Do you disagree?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when people have no hope. The middle class has been greatly squeezesd, and the lower class has no hope to move up. So, drugs and violence continue to grow.

When the middle class is strong, and the lower class knows they can get a great education and move up in status, hope is present, and drugs and violence decrease.

We need a wealth tax, we need giant corporations with record profits and share buybacks to pay their fair share in taxes (in some cases, they haven't paid ANY taxes), and we need to support those who need help, so they can move up, and out of the lower class

Or just put criminals in jail. The rest of us are doing fine.

It seems that you should move into a gated community where you will be surrounded by others “doing fine” and protected by private security, since you don’t seem to be comprehending that you live out in the world with poor people who are getting increasingly agitated.

I know, of criminals were smart they wouldn't be hitting the poors in Silver Spring. Chevy Chase and Bethesda have a lot more payoff and are just as close to the border.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

+1000

The police were never defunded in MoCo. Try again.

Let’s be clear about this. They defunded the SRO program, and then brought back CEOs when they realized that was a mistake. They also disbanded the auto theft unit, and then brought that back when they realized their mistake. They just got rid of the community engagement division. (For how long?) I also guess they don’t need to defund since they aren’t paying a ton of salaries since they can’t fill vacancies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't justice reform causing the problem. It is desperate people who have access to guns and intimidate others with cars that is the problem. It really doesn't matter what kind of penalties exist for these crimes, unless you are actually able to catch the criminals, which seldom happens, then they get away with it and do it again.

Desperate? Maybe some are but the 14 year olds are just bored, not desperate.

Haven't you all seen the stories about the spike being directly related to organized crime and they are dispatching these activities to fulfill demand. You really think suddenly (at the weekly criminal meeting) people just decided to start carjacking? Grow up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

+1000

The police were never defunded in MoCo. Try again.

Anonymous wrote:I'm just glad TP is getting hit so maybe something will be done. A few more car jackings in Bethesda and Chevy Chase would be effective as well.

+1. I genuinely hope more and more car jacking hit Bethesda / Chevy Chase.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

We never defunded the police, so there is no need to refund the police.

No, Montgomery County never defunded the police. The council just made the environment so toxic for police that officers left in droves, leaving the county with a staffing crisis and very few incoming recruits. Who wants to be an officer in Montgomery County when you can provided with more support and pay in a neighboring county?

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

+1000

Ban cars.

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when people have no hope. The middle class has been greatly squeezesd, and the lower class has no hope to move up. So, drugs and violence continue to grow.

When the middle class is strong, and the lower class knows they can get a great education and move up in status, hope is present, and drugs and violence decrease.

We need a wealth tax, we need giant corporations with record profits and share buybacks to pay their fair share in taxes (in some cases, they haven't paid ANY taxes), and we need to support those who need help, so they can move up, and out of the lower class

Obvious People's Republic of Takoma Park resident is obvious..

This may shock people in your delusional camp, but those so called wonderful Nordic countries like Sweden that you guys constantly espouse actually have zero wealth taxes and cut tons of corporate taxes in the 90s in order to developed into what they are today.

Anonymous wrote:Re-fund the police

We never defunded the police, so there is no need to refund the police.