[GailA]

Vetvetdoug hit the nail on the head...high taxes, high crime and BAD schools...equal not only white flight but all decent folks regardless of color too. Last Sunday's Comic Appeal had an article about the HIGH cost of housing driving out the high money makers...to be replaced by lower income...does not compute...how can those of lower income affore TO HIGH PRICED housing that upper income folks can't afford?

[Maigrey]

What's also going on is the desperate land grab of the city and county leaders to maintain the tax base for the county for the illogical social programs which are a major drain on the city tax reserves.

Besides funding the city schools at ~ $5000/student/year for 100000+ kids, there is no accountability and demand on their skills. (I've got relatives in the system as we speak)They took the federal initiative of Leave No Child Behind and said, let's dumb it down even further, and ignore the smarter kids. That way, we can scream for even more $$$ to get the kids to do even better.

At some point, the social programs that the people of the county mandate (welfare, WIC, daycare subsidies, free schools and free meals within the schools) are going to bankrupt the rest of the social programs through corruption and vice that the moderates and socialists are going to scream, We need more money. It's for the children!

And the way to expand the tax base: bring in wealthy athletes who will pay some taxes to fund the rest of the peons.