Baltimore is a port city that is filled with many popular tourist attractions such as its museums, aquarium, and sports teams. It is also a city that has been on the decline for many years. The crime, drugs, and unemployment levels have all risen over the past two decades. Back in the Baltimore heyday, it was a booming city with high levels of port traffic. Today however, the ports are not seeing as much activity as before and that has led to an increase in unemployment and crime. Could Baltimore be on the same path Camden, NJ was on: booming port overtaken by crime and drugs? The television series "The Wire"" was based in and on Baltimore. Created and written by a former journalist for the The Baltimore Sun, David Simon, each season focuses on a different facet of the city: the illegal drug trade, the sea port system, the city government and bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media. The show tried to create a realistic vision of an American city through truthful characters. There are good cops portrayed in the show, however many of the officers are incompetent, show excessive force, and are portrayed as having human qualities. Some residents and city officials credit the series for increased scrutiny by the media on its government, education system, drug problem, and crime. It did shed light on the illicit drug use in the city and its effects on the lower class's ability to grow in the fields of education and organization.

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             In 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Baltimore County, MD had a population consisting of 65.4% white and 26.8% black/African American residents. The median household income in Baltimore County is $63,959. Broken down further, minority median income is $31,400 versus $57,048 for white/caucasian residents. .

             Across the country, taxes and costs of goods and services is on the rise. It is very difficult for a family of four to live on $31,000 a year without public housing assistance and welfare programs.