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-Land of the Free
What's causing Baltimore's population loss? It's no mystery
2018-04-03
[BALTIMORESUN] With the U.S. Census Bureau reporting yet another year of population loss for the city, it doesn’t take an investigator to determine the causes.

The city’s scary record of 343 homicides in 2017 affirms the city’s well-known reputation as a dangerous place to live. Even if 2018 has fewer homicides, it doesn’t take a fortune teller to predict that this year’s homicide rate will be high. Until the city substantially reduces its homicide and other crimes rates, people will continue to view the city as dangerous and be reluctant to stay or move here.

The city’s outrageous property tax of $2.248 per $100 of a property’s assessed value is more than double of its surrounding jurisdictions: Baltimore County, $1.10, and Anne Arundel 90.7 cents. The city’s burdensome property tax on homeowners explains why the city has more renters than homeowners. The city’s high income tax is 3.2 percent, the maximum allowed by law. Baltimore County’s is 2.83 and Anna Arundel’s is 2.56. The city’s tax message is clear: Move here and pay higher taxes. People have figured out how to avoid the city’s taxes and still enjoy the city. They live in surrounding counties and take reasonably priced ridesharing services into the city.
Posted by:Fred

#12  One son used to clear titles after repos. They most complicated place to clear was Baltimore. Baltimore refuses to turn off gas, water and power connection fees (even though the actual stuff is turned off) so fees keep accumulating. They allow the ownership of a payment to be traded so multiple folk need to shake you down to clear up a title. This clearing can only be done one day a year at the courthouse. They don't accept check or credit card or debit card or line of credit. It must be done at the prescribed time with cash. Since he wasn't located in Baltimore is used to drive him bats until he hit upon a solution. Criminals were in the courthouse too. Criminals needed bail bondsmen. So he checked and a bail bondsman with enough money always on hand was just across the street. Bingo! He finally figured out how to clear the stupid Baltimore titles. He had his company make a deal with the bondsman and things went smoothly from then on.
Posted by: 3dc   2018-04-03 12:03  

#11   It should be spelled die-versity

Fast becoming uni-versity.
Posted by: Skidmark   2018-04-03 10:55  

#10  Blue Cities - the 21st Century equivalent of Native American reservations. Big difference being its voluntary.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2018-04-03 10:50  

#9  (sarcasm, sort of)
This ignores the useful aspects of the $hit#ole neighborhood, city, or country.
It's a good place to keep people you don't want around you. And they don't seem to mind.
Posted by: ed in texas   2018-04-03 10:19  

#8  It explains nothing. Landlords don't adjust rents to incorporate property taxes? What an ignoramus.

There's the demand side to consider - can you get higher rents and / or quality tenants when people are leaving in droves? Seems doubtful.
Posted by: Raj   2018-04-03 09:42  

#7  The city’s burdensome property tax on homeowners explains why the city has more renters than homeowners.

It explains nothing. Landlords don't adjust rents to incorporate property taxes? What an ignoramus.

Baltimore's (and St Louis) single most easily addressed problem is that it is not in a county. If they were returned to their respective counties problems would not be eliminated, but the surrounding affluent communities would have to be more involved and responsible for cleaning them up. As it is they have become literal ghettos.
Posted by: Spanky Glomort8304   2018-04-03 09:27  

#6  I forget where I discovered this bit of information but it seems Baltimore is exporting its troubles elsewhere. Either Baltimore city or Maryland state are paying $2000 dollars to people who will relocate. Seems Western Maryland is a target spot. Crime has dramatically increased in Cumberland and along the creek from Midland to Westernport. Drug treatment clinics popping up also. New idea is a place to shoot up unhindered. Reminds me of the Opium dens of times past. Now with the new Heroine treatment with narcan(new nasal spray) doesn't work. I call this planned parenthood for adults.
Posted by: Dale   2018-04-03 08:18  

#5  It should be spelled die-versity
Posted by: M. Murcek   2018-04-03 08:16  

#4  At least it's racially diverse...
Posted by: Frank G   2018-04-03 07:19  

#3  The more a place has hyphenated Americans the less it behaves like America and people flee to non-hyphenated American places...
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2018-04-03 05:46  

#2  I'm thinking 'Detroit'...
Posted by: CrazyFool   2018-04-03 04:33  

#1  Why am I thinking "third world"?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2018-04-03 04:07  

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