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Well the biggest thing affecting alot of Cleveland neighborhoods is the crime. I say start there first. Maybe put the money toward expanding the police force, furthering their training, maybe installing more police cameras, basically any sort of crime prevention measures. possibly even put officers on the ground in these neighborhoods or on bicycles? IDK.... maybe even invest in alternative crime prevention such as mentorship programs? Whatever it takes really.... then of course the infrastructure such as the roads and public water pipes need some work. Plenty of dilapidated houses around the city that need demolition too. I know that the city has been slowly working on that issue as many more seem to keep popping up. It's always nice to keep the blight at bay. Maybe look into a bit of infill in some of the MANY vacant lots? there's plenty of stuff that the city needs in addition to more jobs.
The city does need a lot of things, especially the neighborhoods. But employment growth is the #1 issue. Attracting taxpaying residents and employers is crucial.
Bottom line: Cleveland is on the cusp of a true revival. The best reincarnation of itself of all the previous versions of its ''comeback''. Electing a Jeff Johnson or a Zach Reed as mayor is not in the city, county, or regional interests. Residents, business, small business, even ''hard core Catholics'' will all benefit from a strong Cleveland. A strong Cleveland starts with strong employment centers (downtown-University Circle).
The development momentum, especially the downtown-UC corridor, is in all residents' best interests. Money generated from taxes will pay for many things, including the crime issue. Employment and population decline created all the ailments you mention, and many more.
You were rattling off all sorts of things about Jeff Johnson's career, education, etc. and I was just kind of curious how anybody would really know all this stuff??? I didn't realize it was all listed on his website lol. Sometimes on the internet it can be difficult to differentiate between facts and hearsay, that's all
I mean who can actually make up ''one semester at Cornell''...lol. Even funnier is, who would actually put that fact on their resume as an accomplishment.
Honestly Jeff Johnson sounds like the strongest candidate running so far! from this article, they make it sound like he is professional, smart, and driven. He appears to actually WANT to create positive change for the WHOLE community, rather than continuing to dump money into the already premier neighborhoods. I am OK with the whole felony thing from back in the day as he is demonstrating that he has moved on from that phase of his life. Eric Brewer, former East Cleveland mayor could be a dark horse candidate. He has some experience in the mayoral seat already, but honestly, he didn't seem to do much for EC by the looks of it! maybe there's something I'm missing...
Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour is a killer. It likely would be over $20/hour, not even considering benefits, considering payroll taxes.
Anybody who has employed new members of the work force can tell you what a mine field it is, as many persons have minimum job skills, such as showing up on time or at all reliably. Many persons just fish for unemployment benefits, which can be a costly burden on small businesses.
Many economists believe that minimum wages are job killers. The better approach is creating jobs and funding good job training.
Consider the results in Seattle, where a $15 minimum wage is being phased-in over several years and the economy and general wage levels are much higher than in Cleveland.
The city does need a lot of things, especially the neighborhoods. But employment growth is the #1 issue. Attracting taxpaying residents and employers is crucial.
Bottom line: Cleveland is on the cusp of a true revival. The best reincarnation of itself of all the previous versions of its ''comeback''. Electing a Jeff Johnson or a Zach Reed as mayor is not in the city, county, or regional interests. Residents, business, small business, even ''hard core Catholics'' will all benefit from a strong Cleveland. A strong Cleveland starts with strong employment centers (downtown-University Circle).
The development momentum, especially the downtown-UC corridor, is in all residents' best interests. Money generated from taxes will pay for many things, including the crime issue. Employment and population decline created all the ailments you mention, and many more.
Well I guess "nothing stops a bullet like a job" - future Mayor Zack Reed
In all seriousness, I do agree with you. It just seems like our pickings for mayor are pretty underwhelming, like usual
Well I guess "nothing stops a bullet like a job" - future Mayor Zack Reed
In all seriousness, I do agree with you. It just seems like our pickings for mayor are pretty underwhelming, like usual
The ''nothing stops a bullet like a job'' is a good slogan. Problem is that it's Zach Reed's slogan; someone on city council for 16 years or so yet has never created a job and never held a private sector one.
I say stick with Jackson for now and hope for a millennial/s, preferably a non-native to CLE, to emerge and move the city into the 21st century. Cleveland is at a true crossroad now and putting a Johnson or Reed into City Hall Mayor's office will hinder Cleveland's progress. Cleveland is undergoing a demographic change; a demographic change for the better btw.
This is an example of Cleveland's leadership with council president George Forbes and the real bullet the city dodged electing Mike White as mayor instead of Forbes. White was no '90s version of Tom L Johnson but was way better than the damage Forbes would have inflicted.
This is why, at this point in Cleveland's history, it is imperative that a stable, intelligent, and progressive mayor lies in the city's short-term future.
This is a Forbes-Carl Monday encounter in 1984. Anyone wondering why Cleveland has been tanking for x# of decades, consider this...I actually ended up enjoying the musical build-up to Forbes triggered response.
Here's a NYT article on Cleveland's 1989 mayoral race. Note the same ''courting the wealthy'' issue. Btw, the recipient of Forbes chair throwing, the ''mulatto punk'' was Jeff Johnson...LOL. Boy, Cleveland politics sure were entertaining back then. Even though Voinovich's progress was unwound by Mike White in the '90s, at least it was entertaining.
I do like that Forbes attacked the revered Mayor Carl B Stokes. Stokes blamed Cleveland's woes on ''unintelligent eastern Europeans'' running the city prior to his inept leadership.
Btw, 1990 Cleveland still had over 500,000 residents; today, down to about 386,000
Many economists believe that minimum wages are job killers. The better approach is creating jobs and funding good job training.
Consider the results in Seattle, where a $15 minimum wage is being phased-in over several years and the economy and general wage levels are much higher than in Cleveland.
Nor can the study be reconciled with the wide body of rigorous research — including a recent study of Seattle’s restaurant industry by University of California economist Michael Reich, one of the country’s foremost minimum-wage researchers — that finds that minimum-wage-increases studies have not led to any appreciable job losses.
Nor can the study be reconciled with the wide body of rigorous research — including a recent study of Seattle’s restaurant industry by University of California economist Michael Reich, one of the country’s foremost minimum-wage researchers — that finds that minimum-wage-increases studies have not led to any appreciable job losses.
Do you deny that minimum wages don't include the cost of employment taxes, training, and benefits???
Read carefully the New York Times article that you cited:
<<The only question is whether big increases would also work. The federal minimum is a mere $7.25 an hour and most of the 30 states with higher minimums require less than $10 an hour. Large minimum-wage increases are generally defined as those calling for $12 to $15 an hour.>>
And that is not the only question. No reasonable discussion of the minimum wage can ignore the impact of the minimum wage on the employment of new workers or those with challenged work force skills. One's perspective on the minimum wages changes greatly when actually running a business and employing new workers, even those, sadly, with university degrees. Some employees simply aren't worth the cost of admission, demand on supervisory time, etc., especially when the cost including taxes and benefits approximates $20/hour.
Anybody who believes that the Cleveland economy could well handle a $15 minimum wage has never studied supply/demand curves IMO. Minimum wages are essentially price floors, and price floors always reduce demand compared to a free market. The impact is especially harsh on new workers requiring training and with no proven work force skills (e.g., self-supervision, reliable attendance). Personally, I believe minimum wages always should exempt workers who haven't been work force participants for at least 12-24 months.
Here' a key point. Minimum wages will produce less negative outcomes on labor demand when labor markets are tight, as is the case now in the general economy, but likely not for unskilled workers in the Cleveland proper labor market. In a recession, minimum wages can be devastating for both workers and employers.
Especially problematic is when one city increases minimum wages in the absence of similar increases in surrounding communities. E.g., will the likes of the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals shift work loads from their main campuses to other communities, a very sensible business move if Cleveland implements a $15 minimum wage.
If legislators were truly interested in raising minimum wages, they would severely limit the immigration of unskilled workers into the U.S.
Do you deny that minimum wages don't include the cost of employment taxes, training, and benefits???
Read carefully the New York Times article that you cited:
<<The only question is whether big increases would also work. The federal minimum is a mere $7.25 an hour and most of the 30 states with higher minimums require less than $10 an hour. Large minimum-wage increases are generally defined as those calling for $12 to $15 an hour.>>
And that is not the only question. No reasonable discussion of the minimum wage can ignore the impact of the minimum wage on the employment of new workers or those with challenged work force skills. One's perspective on the minimum wages changes greatly when actually running a business and employing new workers, even those, sadly, with university degrees. Some employees simply aren't worth the cost of admission, demand on supervisory time, etc., especially when the cost including taxes and benefits approximates $20/hour.
Anybody who believes that the Cleveland economy could well handle a $15 minimum wage has never studied supply/demand curves IMO. Minimum wages are essentially price floors, and price floors always reduce demand compared to a free market. The impact is especially harsh on new workers requiring training and with no proven work force skills (e.g., self-supervision, reliable attendance). Personally, I believe minimum wages always should exempt workers who haven't been work force participants for at least 12-24 months.
Here' a key point. Minimum wages will produce less negative outcomes on labor demand when labor markets are tight, as is the case now in the general economy, but likely not for unskilled workers in the Cleveland proper labor market. In a recession, minimum wages can be devastating for both workers and employers.
Especially problematic is when one city increases minimum wages in the absence of similar increases in surrounding communities. E.g., will the likes of the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals shift work loads from their main campuses to other communities, a very sensible business move if Cleveland implements a $15 minimum wage.
If legislators were truly interested in raising minimum wages, they would severely limit the immigration of unskilled workers into the U.S.
Good points.
And what about everyone else? ie- do skilled tradesman , nurses, teachers, etc. get a bump in pay of $5 ? Or do unskilled burger flippers , etc just get the raise?
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