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Via Rustwire (a great midwest/rustbelt blog):
Reuters: Battle for U.S. prosperity being fought in Youngstown
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Development
Youngstown Development News
[35 posts] [14 contributors]
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Columbusite
Minneapolis
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Youngstown has a nice little downtown. It's just that it's rather empty, but that's pretty much on par for most American cities. The good news is that they're also putting in some effort to change that.
Posted 3 years ago # -
cc
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Too much kitsch for my taste. Bruce Springsteen drives a beemer. We need to start making things here again.
This goes for Columbus too. The Columbus Dispatch is assembled in India. I wonder how many Indians subscribe to the Columbus Dispatch?
There are a lot of buzzwords but I have to think we are kidding ourselves. "Mindfactory" is elitist and pretty much BS.
Posted 3 years ago # -
manticore33
Delaware, OH
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I applaud any effort for a community to revitalize its core downtown area. In the midst of larger companies, there are so many unique opportunities to be creative, have fun, and make a living doing it. Discovering new an unique shops is always a pleasant treat!
cc wrote >>
Too much kitsch for my taste. Bruce Springsteen drives a beemer. We need to start making things here again.If I recall correctly, all of the BMW SUVs (X-series) and the Z series (roadsters) are made in North Carolina. Now, if you are talking beemer (motorcylces, bimmers are cars) I think they are all manufactured in Germany. Interestingly enough, my Chrysler was made in Canada. :)
However, I do agree with more local production. I stand behind this concept: if I have no money, no matter how cheap a product it is, I still can't afford it. $0.00 dollars buys 0 items.
Posted 3 years ago # -
manticore33
Delaware, OH
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Roland, thanks for the correction! :) I knew it was a Carolina of some sorts! I'm a purist and only want my BMW as a sedan, coupe, or wagon. Then a Porsche for a sports car ;). Of course, you are talking to a guy who pretty much is not big an anything since 2003/2005.
Posted 3 years ago # -
agtw31
columbus
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i lived in Boardman for a while,and went downtown YTown to buy a part for the vacuum cleaner,and get a title transferred.
it's just like any other downtown in a city that's been decimated,economically.just make sure your pepper spray is full,and you're fine.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Roland
Clintonville
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manticore33 wrote >>
Roland, thanks for the correction! :) I knew it was a Carolina of some sorts! I'm a purist and only want my BMW as a sedan, coupe, or wagon. Then a Porsche for a sports car ;). Of course, you are talking to a guy who pretty much is not big an anything since 2003/2005.Yeah I still have trouble enjoying non-naturally aspirated engines myself. :)
Posted 3 years ago # -
manticore33
Delaware, OH
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I understand that, however, I have no qualms over an older good big-6 (especially the Ms). My fun/project/tinker car is FI, so I have the boost addiction. ;)
Posted 3 years ago # -
Jimbo Jones
German Village
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I'll probably get skewered for this statement, but I don't really care. When are Ohioans going to realize that one of the major impediments to manufacturing jobs is unionization? It's no coincidence that the states with significant manufacturing presence are, by and large, non-union (see, North and South Carolina)? Even here in Central Ohio, one of our most successful manufacturing enterprises, Honda, is non-union...and the employees I know definitely do not want to organize.
I think that, historically, unions served their purpose. But now, they tend to do more harm than good. Look at GM, which discontinued Saab and Saturn, which were probably their best two product lines. I'm firmly convinced that those lines were eliminated because the unions refused to allow other lines, which are unionized, to be eliminated. What sense does that make?
As NE Ohioan, I really hope that a day comes where unions are a thing of the past. Maybe then, decent manufacturing jobs will again flourish in NE Ohio.
Posted 3 years ago # -
manticore33
Delaware, OH
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Jimbo, I agree about Unions. For instance, in my city, they eliminated a newly created police officer position so the rest of the force could have their annual raises, after paying to send the new officer through the academy and training!
In history, when workers were highly oppressed, abused, and injured, I understand and see their value. However, in recent history with worker rights and safety standards, I think most federal and state regulations reasonably protect workers. As far as employers being fair to employees with benefits, hours, and etc... another debate.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Jimbo Jones
German Village
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I definitely agree about the need for employers to be fair about wages, benefits, etc. The solution, in my opinion, is to take a job that provides whatever each individual perceives to be "fair." Call me a crazy capitalist.
Posted 3 years ago # -
DavidF
Elysium Fields
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Jimbo Jones wrote >>
I definitely agree about the need for employers to be fair about wages, benefits, etc. The solution, in my opinion, is to take a job that provides whatever each individual perceives to be "fair." Call me a crazy capitalist.Crazy is a good start. Of course people have unlimited choice of employer so they stand on equal footing. Silly, silly people.
Besides, who needs a middle class?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Jimbo Jones
German Village
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DavidF wrote >>
Jimbo Jones wrote >>
I definitely agree about the need for employers to be fair about wages, benefits, etc. The solution, in my opinion, is to take a job that provides whatever each individual perceives to be "fair." Call me a crazy capitalist.Crazy is a good start. Of course people have unlimited choice of employer so they stand on equal footing. Silly, silly people.
Besides, who needs a middle class?Give me a break.
Posted 3 years ago # -
gramarye
In Exile
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I imagine the point was that Youngstown's economic decline was heavily related to the decline of American manufacturing, which was in turn driven by unrealistic union demands. Unfortunately, that's simply not borne out by the evidence: American manufacturing output has steadily trended upward even as American manufacturing employment has declined, because a plant that used to require 5000 workers might now require only 200. In addition, even the cheapest American wages cannot compare with those in Asia and Latin America; the comparatively high value of the dollar against Third World currencies and the nearly inexhaustible labor supply of some Third World countries see to that. Unions aren't responsible for either of those, which means that the demise of unions won't bring those jobs back. For all intents and purposes, those jobs aren't coming back, just like the farm jobs weren't coming back when most of the country moved out of the agricultural sector during the Industrial Revolution.
Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Akron, Cleveland, and other Rust Belt cities are doing their best to adapt to the new reality, which is encouraging to me, because it means that they've accepted it (even if some public officials in such cities refrain from saying so aloud). They are promoting white collar industries with substantial growth potential: Pittsburgh, for example, actually has a decent-sized Google presence now.
We do still have some industrial assets--electricity is as cheap in the Midwest as anywhere in the country, for example, and our supply of fresh water is substantial, which isn't that big of an issue now but could very much be one in the future. However, that alone won't bring back the manufacturing jobs that have been lost, unions or no unions. If manufacturing reemerges as a driver of the Midwestern economy, it's not going to resemble the manufacturing sector of yore.
Posted 3 years ago # -
rustbelt
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It's no coincidence that the states with significant manufacturing presence are, by and large, non-union (see, North and South Carolina)?
In the period from March 2001 to June 2008, North Carolina & South Carolina both lost a greater percentage of manufacturing jobs than Ohio.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Why Can’t It Work in Youngstown? Part 1 of 2
URBAN NATION | Willy Staley | Jun 7th, 2010
http://americancity.orgThe economic development strategy of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporationâ€â€a community development corporation that partners with MVOCâ€â€is modeled after Philadelphia Green’s. “Imagine Philadelphia Green operating in virtually every neighborhood in Youngstown,†explains Phil, on a recent phone call, “but with added capacity…strategic demolition, property acquisition, rehabilitation, home grant programs, neighborhood marketing.†Right now, they’re working on one neighborhood in particular, Idora, as a model for the rest of Youngstown, andâ€â€Phil hopesâ€â€other older industrial communities like Flint, Akron, or Syracuse.
READ MORE: http://americancity.org/columns/entry/2367/
Posted 2 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Does Youngstown’s Revival Leave the Working Class Behind?
15 AUGUST 2010Who is benefiting from the strides being made to redevelop the city of Youngstown?
That is the question posed by Center for Working Class Studies at Youngstown State University, in a critical article titled “A Renaissance for Whom?â€Â
READ MORE: http://rustwire.com/2010/08/15/does-youngstowns-revival-leave-the-working-class-behind/
Posted 2 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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In a Growth-Oriented System, Youngstown, Ohio Struggles to Shrink
5 JULY 2011
Youngstown, Ohio has its share of problems.
Once a single-industry steel town, the rust belt poster child has seen its population dwindle from 115,000 residents to barely 67,000 over just three decades. For the better part of the last century, the city was known for its mafia activity, and shaking off the residue of government corruption and violence has been difficult. Its homicide rate — driven upward by a not-yet-recovered economy — puts the city in league with towns three times its size.
READ MORE: http://rustwire.com/2011/07/05/in-a-growth-oriented-system-youngstown-ohio-struggles-to-shrink/
Posted 1 year ago #
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