A government city (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati: sales, condos, crime)

[SAG]

I've lived in Columbus for 6 years and moved away about a year ago. I'm originally from the South-Central US.

Columbus is a big city, and has big-city influences. What I learned while living there is that there is a difference between what I would call a government city and a non-government city. Columbus is the capital of Ohio and a great deal of the economy in Columbus depends on government. In general (this is not always the case, but in my experiences this has been generally true) the people of Columbus are helpless without the Mayor or someone from the local government doing something for them. Politics is the way of life in Columbus, and people do nasty things to one another in Columbus, so you have to be on your guard when working with people in Columbus (yes, I'm distrustful of Columbus people, but they've earned that from me - thank you very much). People are friendlier in Columbus than Cleveland (by a long shot) and Cincinnati, but they don't cooperate among one another and aren't neighborly like they are in my current city. Crime is high in Columbus and is generally scattered about - except for areas like Dublin.

Also, if you move there, get ready for income taxes. You'll actually pay a city income tax, and if you live in certain areas (e.g., Reynoldsburg) you'll even pay a separate school district income tax. Most of the Columbus cities have their taxes administered by either the City of Columbus, or by RITA (based in Cleveland). Taxes are rather high, but they do spend on public works (good or bad). They had a debacle regarding a project to restore the lights along their downtown main street (High St) to resemble how the streets were lit in like the 1920's (gas lights). The electronic system didn't work, and come to find out, a city department failed to install the correct equipment necessary for the contractor's lights to work properly - that was probably 5 years ago and I'm sure they're still not working. Rather than correct the problem, the City sued the contractor in an effort to scapegoat him. The city government failed to take responsibility for the mistake - and the non-working lights an eyesore for at least 5 years.

They also had a problem with an electrical circuit near their children's science museum. One child was walking down the sidewalk with his father, both having just visited the museum along with a school friend. The child stepped on a manhole cover and was electrocuted (died). Very sad. Something just tells me a government organization failed to take proactive steps to prevent such a thing from happening. Not more than a year later, a similar even happened in a small town Northwest of Columbus, in which a small boy at a local baseball game stood on a manhole cover and was electrocuted. That event was found to be due to corroded wiring.

Someone mentioned Buckeye football? Yes, they are fanatical about Buckeye football - the team is excellent with coach Tressel. The local news ALWAYS leads with a story about the university. Columbus is the biggest college town there is. It can be annoying, however for those who want to live a normal life. The university (a governmental entity) is a big factor in the politics in town (which can at times be liberal, but is generally level between liberal and conservative).

I've heard that Columbus early on recognized the problems of urban sprawl, and incorporated many of the outlying areas to prevent the tax base from exiting their jurisdiction. It may have worked in their favor, in that they do have a better downtown area than Cleveland (and this may be debatable, but I believe it's better than Cincinnati).

If you buy a car part at a parts store and have a "core charge" be ready for a surprise, which I had to learn. I bought brake parts for my car to replace my brakes. As part of the deal, I was charged a core charge that would be refunded once I brought back my old parts (I believe it was my rotors). I brought back the rotors and they refunded the core charge - no problem. However, I noticed they didn't refund the portion of my sales taxes on the core charge. The manager pointed to a sign they had posted on their desk which was a photocopy of a memo from 1971!!! It was from the state tax auditor warning retailers that Ohio law does not allow the refund of sales taxes on transactions of the type in which a core charge is. In the 30+ years, they haven't evolved their tax code to remove this bureacracy! It makes me wonder what other penalties they impose on their unsuspecting citizens. I began to sour on Ohio politics when this came to light.

There was also the "snowplow" event. There was one winter in which the snowplows were out clearing the streets. A pair of snowplows were clearing Parson's Ave near downtown. A man was on the side of the street in plain sight of the snowplow drivers (the man may have been disoriented, possibly even drunk - I'm uncertain why he didn't move out of the way). Rather than steer clear of throwing snow onto the pedestrian, the plows continued (this was early morning, like 5:00 or 6:00AM). The plow didn't just throw snow onto him, but it threw the full amount of snow onto the man, knocking him down and burying him underneath the snow. Again - the man was in plain sight of the driver!!! (a bank's security camera showed the events, and you can see how plainly in sight this pedestrian was). Anyway, that was the first snowplow moving snow out of the way for about half the width of the lane. The second snowplow coming from behind the first was right next to the curb. This second snowplow driver likely didn't see the man, but just missed seriously injuring or even killing the pedestrian. Amazing how uncaring city workers in Columbus can be.

Another event that rubbed me the wrong way was how they treated an employee at the Franklin County health department (Columbus is the county seat for Franklin). The young man was a reservist and went off to war (I believe it was Afghanistan). Anyway, when he returned he found that his position at the health department was filled with another worker and that he would not receive his nor a similar position, but was in effect demoted - mind you he's a reservist who went to war and just came back home. The reservist attempted to have a hearing on the topic, but became so distraught over the matter that he committed suicide. Rather than take corrective actions, the agency's director got the PR skills in gear and twisted a message of how the agency supports the troops. I think not, and that's a shame that they work that way.

I've heard a rumor, but haven't been able to confirm it. The rumor is that Columbus has the largest Somalian population in the US, and that it was President Clinton's administration that brought them to Columbus (just a rumor?). Anyway, they haven't integrated very well over the 10 years they've lived there. Just an anecdote that may not be indicative: I was at a buffet style restaurant one evening. In line in front of me was a Somalian family (I'm fairly certain I can tell they were from Somalia - they were dark-skinned and could barely speak English). The mother, father and about 5 children. The cashier rang up the couple and ran the father's credit card. The cashier told the father that the credit card didn't work and tried again. Once again, the card was declined. The man spoke to his family in a foreign language, and they proceeded to leave. The man made no effort to get his credit card back, even when the cashier loudly announced to the man that he forgot his credit card. The others in line with me and I (and the cashier) had the impression that this man had a stolen credit card and was in a hurry to leave before being caught.

Another anecdote. I was in a Meijer's store and a nice dark-skinned black lady was in front of me checking out. She was there with her two children who were about 4 and 5 years old. She had plantains on the conveyor, which made me hungry for a Cuban sandwich. She then spoke to her two children in Spanish. I then put things together to conclude that she was likely Cuban or from Haiti, or Dominican Republic, or the like. I have no problem with foreigners or immigrants. She paid by check and the cashier had to have her come with her to the customer service desk. The lady instructed her little boy and little girl to stay there while she went to the desk. It shocked me and the lady who was in line behind me - the little boy punched his little sister in the face repeatedly until she fell to the floor, and then he pulled down his pants and got on top of her! I was dismayed that this was happening and the mother, hearing the daughter crying came back over and picked the boy off the girl and pulled his pants back up. A future criminal in the works. Ugh, I hope I don't run into him when he becomes an adult. Very sad.

I'm sure these two stories are not indicative of Columbus being any worse than any other large city, but they happened and are very true. Columbus is a rugged city, and you have to watch out for yourself when you live there. I'm from the lower central US, and I'm not accustomed to living that way. I'm glad to be back in my normal environment. I lived in Columbus for 6 years and will not return. I wouldn't live in Detroit (I assume it's worse there) or in any other large city in the mid-west or upper east. I like my current hometown very much, even though it's got its problems (it's not a government city, however, and the people work together very well).

Well, that's about it. Columbus is a government city, and the governmental ways of thinking permeate even the private sector. You'll have to be tough when working in Columbus, and expect people to be very uncaring about you as a person. Maybe it was just my own experiences? If anyone else had similar experiences or are of a similar mindset, I'd love to hear from you.

[MABCle]

Originally Posted by SAG

It may have worked in their favor, in that they do have a better downtown area than Cleveland).

Please, Don't mean to diss the CO, but they have the arena and the little district that surrounds it, that decayed mall, and some museums, Nothing more. Even the first Wendy's closed.

Whereas downtown Cleveland has The Gateway district and the NBA arena and MLB Stadium, Northcoast Harbor and its Museums, the NFL stadium, The Warehouse district, East Fourth, Tower City (The healthiest urban mall in Ohio), as well as restaurants like Lola, Morton's, Bice, Hard Rock, House of Blues. etc, etc.

[streetcreed]

but they have the arena and the little district that surrounds it

Let me remind you that the little district near the arena, is building a little building of 20 stories right now (condos)

Downtown Columbus is more than the arena district, the historic capitol, cosi and the art center, downtown movie theater, great theaters, library ranked the best of all large cities in the us, my gym (as well as 3 are in downtown) mine over looks the capitol, a beatiful park called the Deaf School Park, art college/columbus state, theaters (theaters are not mentioned here and yet theres 5 in downtown columbus) Many downtowns do not have all of that, Columbus also has an impressive selection of skyscrapers and the historic leveque tower. and ya i already know about clevelands theaters too, but this thread is about columbus leave cleavland out after this post.


The reason many would feel that columbus' downtown is better than clevelands; is usually because the areas around downtown columbus are much nicer and more gentrified. Though many do not spends nights in the actual downtown capitol district, the areas that lie just in the shaddow of skyscrapers, are alive night and day w/ retail, bars, galleries, nice homes, etc... These adjacent neighborhoods may give some the impression that central city columbus is nicer than say central city cleveland. Columbus has safe and gentirified, and fastly densifying urban neighborhoods near downtown, with condo infill reaching 12 stories etc...

[MABCle]

Originally Posted by streetcreed

Many downtowns do not have all of that, Columbus also has an impressive selection of skyscrapers and the historic leveque tower. and ya i already know about clevelands theaters too, but this thread is about columbus leave cleavland out after this post.


The reason many would feel that columbus' downtown is better than clevelands; is usually because the areas around downtown columbus are much nicer and more gentrified. Though many do not spends nights in the actual downtown capitol district, the areas that lie just in the shaddow of skyscrapers, are alive night and day w/ retail, bars, galleries, nice homes, etc... These adjacent neighborhoods may give some the impression that central city columbus is nicer than say central city cleveland. Columbus has safe and gentirified, and fastly densifying urban neighborhoods near downtown, with condo infill reaching 12 stories etc...

But Cleveland doesn't have gentrifying heighborhoods adjacent to its downtown? Cleveland doesn't have twelve story condos going up in its downtown? When was the last time u were there? I'll give you that Columbus has nice galleries and stores ADJACENT to its downtown, but not in it. I agree w/the second to last sentence in the second paragraph.

[LancasterNative]

Morning SAG,

I've got to hand you props and dittoes to just about everything you said in here. You even articulated some things I've thought but never expressed, or figured I was the only person who felt as such.

Your premise is totally accurate. Columbus is definitely a government city...and government, even at its very best, is still just a necessary evil that free people should be wary of tolerating.

The more government grows, the less freedom exists. Bureaucrats are not a particularly friendly or humorous breed of people. Worst of all, such a government-based mindset in any community yields an overall entitlement centered culture. Womb-to-tomb care creates helpless, dependent people ("sheeple"?) who are socialized to expect endless handouts and programs to "help" them.

You mentioned in your post how outrageous taxes are around here. And I agree. This is directly correlated to the omnipresence of government.

Columbus is many respects mirrors our nation's capital, Washington D.C. Seats of government in the United States were never intended to become large cities; government in the U.S. was intended to be small, limited and unobtrusive. Yet with more people clamoring for government goodies, Washington ballooned into a massive city during the early-mid 20th c. In Columbus, it was perhaps delayed by a few decades but the government gravy-train is definitely rolling full-tilt now.

Looking at other state capitals like Jefferson City (MO) and Frankfort (KY) gives you an idea what role government should play in the life of a state and its people: a tiny one!

I could go on and on, but you really said it all and summed it up nicely.

[dodeca]

An interesting read on the "government city" thesis might be Foucault's governmentality - an intro is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governmentality

Also, DC consistently ballooned during wartime, not expansions of government programs. Nothing grows a government like war, neo-cons!

Washington has always been one of the 30 largest cities in the US since its founding;

It jumped from the 14th to the 9th largest after the War of 1812;
then dropped...
14th to the 12 largest after the Civil War;
then dropped;
14th to the 9th largest between the Great Depression and 1950...

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by dodeca

Nothing grows a government like war, neo-cons!

Interesting theory, quite possibly true. And if that's the case, it just adds further weight to my contention I'm not a neo-con. If anything, I would probably fall more into the "paleo-con" camp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservative. Wars should be fought solely for the defense of freedom and our national insterest; let Europe and the rest of the world do their own nation-building.