Posted on 08/27/2011 11:46:30 AM PDT by mathprof
As affluent residents leave town, the political playing field tips further and further in favor of pro-tax Democrats.
This coming Labor Day weekend, traffic in downtown Baltimore will move at more than 100 miles per hour—or not at all: The city's main streets will be closed so that IndyCar racers can compete in the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Much more than prize money is at stake.
Nine days later, on Sept. 13, voters will pick a mayor, and incumbent Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is betting that the auto race will draw thousands of free-spending tourists and stimulate the local economy, thereby demonstrating her vision and competence. In fact, it will be an economic dud, a money-loser even for its promoters, and a logistical nightmare for residents.
The race exemplifies the city's development strategy: Subsidize big downtown projects with other people's money—in this case, over $6 million in federal stimulus funds for the two-mile race course—and proclaim an urban renaissance.
Away from the waterfront, this strategy's failure is apparent. The city has lost 30,000 residents and 53,000 jobs since 2000, marking the sixth consecutive decade of population and employment exodus. About 47,000 abandoned houses crumble while residents suffer a homicide rate higher than any large city except Detroit. The poverty rate is 50% above the national average.
Much of this decline is a result of the city's exorbitant property-tax rates, which are twice as high as any other jurisdiction in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The encouraging news is that all four major mayoral candidates are promising property-tax relief.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I heard that there was a gang fight at the Inner Harbor.
That’s all they need, for the gangs and flash mobs to be active at the one place which has helped the economy of Baltimore.
We’re not allowed to say anything because it would be racist. But if tourism is killed off at the Inner Harbor, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? Would we commend the youth gangs for their self expression, or condemn them for scaring away tourists????
I hope the cars are sturdily built. I have driven Baltimore’s streets.
What’s the Curley Effect? It’s not explained in the free excerpt.
Specifically what Demonrats and their policies do. There is no denying what happens to cities, states and now the whole country when their policies are put into place. I think this is a glaring issue to be used in campaigns.
On top of it, that money they gleefully lift from your wallet couldn't be more wasted. Maryland is a nightmare of government making things steadily worse for all the most altruistic reasons. Nice folks, but either ignorant/apathetic, or ignorant/aggressively liberal.
It's too bad. Under different leadership, Baltimore could be a great town.
“How Property Taxes and the ‘Curley Effect’ Are Killing Baltimore”
Hey, something’s gotta pick up the slack now that Omar’s dead.
"James Michael Curley, a four-time mayor of Boston, used wasteful redistribu- tion to his poor Irish constituents and incendiary rhetoric to encourage richer citizens to emigrate from Boston, thereby shaping the electorate in his favor. As a consequence, Boston stagnated, but Curley kept winning elections. We present a model of using redistributive politics to shape the electorate, and show that this model yields a number of predictions opposite from the more standard frameworks of political competition, yet consistent with empirical evidence."
Seems to also apply to the strategy of our Golfer in Chief.
Very interesting , though I skipped over the curley-cues in the middle.
That’s fascinating. Sounds like Governor Paterson of NY.
The Curley Effect can go either way. Slash welfare and “social services”, and the Dem voters will go elsewhere.
Nazi P. is from a prominent Balt. political fam.
This so called “Curley Effect” was used by every Democrat mayor in the U.S. starting with the welfare state of the “Great Society” beginning in the late 1960’s. Mayors no longer needed to keep the local economy healthy. “Poverty programs” funded by taxpayers nationwide rewarded corruption, incompetence and criminal activity. Massive welfare programs and government subsidies provided a steady stream of revenues that could be stolen and used to buy votes. Literally billions of dollars of taxpayer money has been wasted during the destruction of cities like Detroit,etc.
Mayor Curley was sent to prison twice. The second time he was released and pardoned by President Truman.
At least it’s not the same as the nappy effect.
I could say something, but that would not be polite. Let's just say it isn't the Amish voting for Baltimore's "Curley".
wow, that’s pretty horrifying. and it seems to be the standard democratic modus operandi. Just look at what Obama did by blocking the deportation of illegals.
That is about normal. They point to a big auto race as an achievement while the city crumbles. Does that not remind you of the Soviet Union?
The Rats have destroyed what was once a great city. I grew up in Baltimore County, the county that surrounds Baltimore. The downtown area is loaded with potential, and there would be a huge influx of yuppies if Baltimore was not also loaded with drug addicts and gangbangers.
Most parts of B’more are not safe to walk in. I know people who seriously considered buying rehabbed properties in the city only to be scared off by the crime. I have read stories of people buying and rehabbing property only to be robbed repeatedly.
For some reason, the leadership is unwilling to stop the crime.
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