Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
One of my issues with Columbus when I lived there, which is now admittedly a while ago, was the lukewarm nature of it all. Seems like that's probably still true.
Clevelanders either love Cleveland beyond reason or hate it beyond reason. Very temperamental place. But I kinda enjoy the passion. When traveling and visiting different cities, I want to meet people that have strong opinions and love their city. I think that attitude does exist to a degree in Columbus, but mostly focused on OSU. And rightfully so. I loved going to Ohio State and being a Buckeye. Columbus the city doesn't garner the same affection though, for whatever reason.
So which is it, guys? Too many passionate boosters or complete indifference?
I like how after I said that Columbus' haters far outnumber boosters on this forum, all the haters proved me correct by posting. If we are to believe them, Columbus has virtually no redeeming qualities, no passionate residents, nothing to do, nothing to see, is all low-density suburbia and all of its success is due to public dollars stolen from other places.
You guys keep going with that. It becomes increasingly hilarious with every passing year.
I like how after I said that Columbus' haters far outnumber boosters on this forum, all the haters proved me correct by posting. If we are to believe them, Columbus has virtually no redeeming qualities, no passionate residents, nothing to do, nothing to see, is all low-density suburbia and all of its success is due to public dollars stolen from other places.
You guys keep going with that. It becomes increasingly hilarious with every passing year.
Unlike some Columbus boosters, some posters in this forum like to stick to reality and the facts.
Columbus doesn't "steal" public dollars, it just gets a massive multiplier effect from disproportionate amounts of state expenditures raised elsewhere in the state, similar to the multiplier effect generated by any state capitol, county seat, or even in Greater Washington, DC. This is so obvious, and yet you continue to dispute this excellent attribute of the Columbus economy. Why???
I wouldn't say it's hilarious, because it isn't, but it's sad that Columbus boosters try to aggrandize Columbus ridiculously in certain areas, while downplaying its best attributes.
I'm not a Columbus hater, but I have no respect for the misleading claims and arguments that once again appear in this thread. Your straw man argument is especially juvenile, as some of the so-called "haters, " such as myself, actually promote things to do and otherwise praise Columbus more than most of the Columbus boosters.
Unlike some Columbus boosters, some posters in this forum like to stick to reality and the facts.
Columbus doesn't "steal" public dollars, it just gets a massive multiplier effect from disproportionate amounts of state expenditures raised elsewhere in the state, similar to the multiplier effect generated by any state capitol, county seat, or even in Greater Washington, DC. This is so obvious, and yet you continue to dispute this excellent attribute of the Columbus economy. Why???
I wouldn't say it's hilarious, because it isn't, but it's sad that Columbus boosters try to aggrandize Columbus ridiculously in certain areas, while downplaying its best attributes.
I'm not a Columbus hater, but I have no respect for the misleading claims and arguments that once again appear in this thread. Your straw man argument is especially juvenile, as some of the so-called "haters, " such as myself, actually promote things to do and otherwise praise Columbus more than most of the Columbus boosters.
Can you be specific as to where I haven't been using facts? This has been debated endlessly, and I've never denied that Columbus benefits to some degree from being a capital. However, there are many who inflate the capital status into the sole reason for its success. Not forward-thinking leadership, not a diverse economy long before other Ohio cities had one, etc., but solely government-related jobs. When I correctly point out that government jobs are NOT the #1 economic industry within the metro, and that it ranks in the same position as most of the rest of the state's metros, that fact is never quite acknowledged. When I state that the total of government-related jobs, or even the totality of jobs that rely on any public funding whatsoever, could not possibly account for the difference in the levels of growth between Columbus and other state cities alone, no one responds. When I mention that there are many other state capitals that are small and doing relatively poorly compared to other cities within their respective states, and that being a capital alone doesn't guarantee anything in terms of success, it is ignored. When I provided real numbers about the more than 100K government jobs in both the other 2-Cs, I'm always told that they're different somehow, or that all the funding comes from the local area (without any proof of that whatsoever).
And you really don't promote Columbus at all, and never really have. When you're not finding something to criticize, I've noticed that when you participate in the "recent" or "upcoming mover" threads, you curiously only seem to mention a bunch of amenities in other parts of the state rather than the Columbus area. I wonder why.
That is misconstruing what I said. Plenty of people choose to live in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and good for them. My comment was specifically about Columbus-area residents who still claim that Cleveland or Pittsburgh are better than Columbus. If that's the case, put your money where your mouth is and move to those cities. If you're choosing to live in Columbus, there's obviously something there that matters to you more than Eastern European restaurants or Andy Warhol museums. Maybe they have a job they like in Columbus, or maybe they like hockey teams with a history of inept management. But as long as someone is choosing to live somewhere, their claims that somewhere else is better are kind of silly.
None of the posters talking about how much Columbus sucks are current residents, and the majority of them never even lived there. They're all homers from the other 2-Cs, for the most part. That's the way it's always been on these forums. Success of any kind in Columbus is considered threatening to them for some reason. You don't see Columbus posters posting in their forums trashing those cities like they do with Columbus. That's why I think it's funny when they talk about how over-the-top "Columbus boosters" are.
Can you be specific as to where I haven't been using facts? This has been debated endlessly, and I've never denied that Columbus benefits to some degree from being a capital. However, there are many who inflate the capital status into the sole reason for its success. Not forward-thinking leadership, not a diverse economy long before other Ohio cities had one, etc., but solely government-related jobs. When I correctly point out that government jobs are NOT the #1 economic industry within the metro, and that it ranks in the same position as most of the rest of the state's metros, that fact is never quite acknowledged. When I state that the total of government-related jobs, or even the totality of jobs that rely on any public funding whatsoever, could not possibly account for the difference in the levels of growth between Columbus and other state cities alone, no one responds. When I mention that there are many other state capitals that are small and doing relatively poorly compared to other cities within their respective states, and that being a capital alone doesn't guarantee anything in terms of success, it is ignored. When I provided real numbers about the more than 100K government jobs in both the other 2-Cs, I'm always told that they're different somehow, or that all the funding comes from the local area (without any proof of that whatsoever).
Take the time to find the threads where the economic multiplier effect on Columbus was discussed, and where you first stated the arguments that you've just repeated, if you would like to do so. My memory is that all of the arguments that you have just made were thoroughly debunked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbcmh81
And you really don't promote Columbus at all, and never really have. When you're not finding something to criticize, I've noticed that when you participate in the "recent" or "upcoming mover" threads, you curiously only seem to mention a bunch of amenities in other parts of the state rather than the Columbus area. I wonder why.
Here's the most recent thread to which I contributed. I responded specifically to the OP's interest in camping, hiking, and swimming, and the OP specifically included Ohio.
I included links such as Ohio NNLs and alltrails.com which definitely include sites in Greater Columbus. The first link in my post 2 contained nested links to many attractions and events in Greater Columbus. I have no interest in recreating the wheel every time I post. Post 2 also recommended the Central Ohio Metroparks. I didn't repeat what was posted by others.
The OP seemed pleased with my efforts. To my knowledge, camping and outdoor swimming opportunities don't abound in Greater Columbus. I suggested the OP check out Ohio State Parks, which certainly would include Alum Creek State Park. I've never been there, so I didn't say anything about it.
Take the time to find the threads where the economic multiplier effect on Columbus was discussed, and where you first stated the arguments that you've just repeated, if you would like to do so. My memory is that all of the arguments that you have just made were thoroughly debunked.
Here's the most recent thread to which I contributed. I responded specifically to the OP's interest in camping, hiking, and swimming, and the OP specifically included Ohio.
I included links such as Ohio NNLs and alltrails.com which definitely include sites in Greater Columbus. The first link in my post 2 contained nested links to many attractions and events in Greater Columbus. I have no interest in recreating the wheel every time I post. Post 2 also recommended the Central Ohio Metroparks. I didn't repeat what was posted by others.
The OP seemed pleased with my efforts. To my knowledge, camping and outdoor swimming opportunities don't abound in Greater Columbus. I suggested the OP check out Ohio State Parks, which certainly would include Alum Creek State Park. I've never been there, so I didn't say anything about it.
You did not respond at all to the OP's query....
I have no doubt you think those were all debunked, but no one has even tried. And they aren't "alternative facts", they are indisputable. They don't fit the narrative, so it's no surprise they get ignored.
I don't respond to many, many posts. Your propensity to promote things outside of the Columbus area remains.
Anyway, you are free to have the last word. Frankly, this debate has been done so many times now, it is just boring. Nobody is going to convince anyone of anything. The same people are going to continue to hate on Columbus while accusing others of boosterism. It never really stops.
I have no doubt you think those were all debunked, but no one has even tried. And they aren't "alternative facts", they are indisputable. They don't fit the narrative, so it's no surprise they get ignored.
I don't respond to many, many posts. Your propensity to promote things outside of the Columbus area remains.
Anyway, you are free to have the last word. Frankly, this debate has been done so many times now, it is just boring. Nobody is going to convince anyone of anything. The same people are going to continue to hate on Columbus while accusing others of boosterism. It never really stops.
Find the thread rather than reinterpret history. It's ridiculous to argue that Columbus hasn't received an extraordinary benefit from being the state capital and any economist would laugh at such a proposition. Your argument is that the many thousands of state jobs in Columbus, such as in the highly paid pension plans, Supreme Court, etc., have little disparate impact on the Columbus economy is bogus. For Columbus to have the same ratio of government jobs, let alone government payrolls (many government jobs in the state capital are relatively highly paid), would require one to believe that excluding the state government jobs, Columbus has an otherwise low relative ratio of government jobs. It's a preposterous argument. Just consider the money spent in Columbus by state legislators and their staffs, including lodging costs, meals, etc.
Another major reason that your argument is preposterous is because of the large numbers of highly-paid private sector service jobs in Columbus, such as lawyers, lobbyists, consultants, etc., that are directly tied to the location of the state capital in Columbus. Even the state political parties are headquartered in Columbus, private sector jobs that don't show up as government employment.
<<
Columbus has become a nearly recession-proof hub of Ohio. Ohio State University, state and local government, insurance and retail are the central spokes of the city's economy, which at a glance looks remarkable.
"In a service economy Columbus was destined to do better, much better than places with smokestack industry," says David Stebenne, a professor of history and law at Ohio State. Columbus has a set of built-in advantages, including a countercyclical set of employers — insurance, government and the university. "Even in bad times insurance is insurance," he says.>>
No other Ohio city can count on a the base of state government and related private sector employment that buoys the Columbus economy.
I'm not going to waste time arguing with a position that already has been thoroughly discussed and debunked, and is understood as fact in all but the minds of certain Columbus boosters.
As for my responding to posters in the Columbus forum who ask for tips about Ohio, you're always free to contribute with local suggestions, but you never, or rarely, do so. I not only answer the posters' questions, I often mention local attractions that may not be obvious, such as Shadow Box Live and the Ohio State theater department for those interested in performing arts. These are options of which I have familiarity, and there are likely other Columbus attractions of which I lack familiarity. Yet when Columbus locals and especially boosters don't offer anything beyond my contributions, criticisms of mentioning places often relatively close to Columbus such as the extraordinary aviation attractions in Dayton, the Hocking Hills, the Mohican Region, AEP ReCreation Land (which nobody in this forum ever mentions except me), all ring ridiculously hollow and typify the whining of parochial Columbus boosters, such as yourself.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
