In Baltimore, the erosion of the tax base is easy to see. The city’s population has dropped from a peak of 950,000 in 1950 to 619,000 today, and while the decline has slowed, there have been few signs of the trend reversing.
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I am not sure if it is because there are police in the pocket of the drug dealers or what. But Baltimore has failed with some excellent opportunities to reverse this trend. There are many drug addicts in Baltimore
and a lot of crime.
There are some beautiful old neighborhoods in the city that people have attempted to rehab only to be driven out by crime — robberies and muggings.
If the crime was under control, they would find many young professionals moving in and expanding the tax base.
I used to love to visit Baltimore, but, these days, we rarely do.
It is no accident that Baltimore has acquired nicknames like “Baltimordor” and “Baltimurder” ...