Hopefully Good news for Gary! (city hall, renters, low crime)

[Broadrippleguy]

According to the new estimates Gary, Indiana has a steady population. its not growing and its not declining much at all.
Could this mean that Gary much like Detroit could hit a turnaround point and maybe we could see the Steel City rise up again?

[Bluefox]

Population growth/loss/stability doesn't necessarily correlate with whether a city is improving or declining. I suppose a stagnant population might be evidence of stability or status quo. But I wouldn't go so far as to say there's been a turnaround in Gary until I see some indication crime is declining or the population is increasing or jobs are being created. But regardless, it's not bad news.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by Broadrippleguy

According to the new estimates Gary, Indiana has a steady population. its not growing and its not declining much at all.
Could this mean that Gary much like Detroit could hit a turnaround point and maybe we could see the Steel City rise up again?

It is encouraging but keep one thing in mind a very high percentage of people in Gary are either renters or lower income.

I believe there is a segment of the population locked in their homes.
This was discussed earlier.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

Population growth/loss/stability doesn't necessarily correlate with whether a city is improving or declining. I suppose a stagnant population might be evidence of stability or status quo. But I wouldn't go so far as to say there's been a turnaround in Gary until I see some indication crime is declining or the population is increasing or jobs are being created. But regardless, it's not bad news.

Homicides are WAY down while burglaries are up although last month according to GPD, they saw a sizable reduction in burglaries and robberies and giving themselves a pat on the back. Gary for the most part is becoming a transient city. Those with means or finally able to obtain the means of leaving are moving out while a lot of displaced people are moving in. At this point, its an open door. While I suspect Gary actually has more people than the official census numbers due to the homeless not being counted and the streets the census volunteers refused to walk door to door for safety reasons and lets face it, no one wants to walk through the projects in any city.

[richb]

Has Gary turned a corner?

Nope.

Until there are major fundamental changes in how city hall (and to some extant Lake County) runs and the attitude of residents, little will change in Gary. I don't see that happening. Not at all.

Until the citizens of Gary itself want the city to be better it will not get better on its own. The federal government, the state government, the county government and the residents of the rest of the county cannot change Gary. Gary must want it. It doesn't today.

Sure, there are little improvements here and there. But something else goes bad. Its the one step forwards, three steps back thing at work. Shiny new baseball stadium, then a hundred new abandoned buildings,,,,,,,park fixed up by volunteers, destroyed by vandals,,,,,

Until the corruption, the nepotism, the street crime are under control, people will not be in Gary.

Yes, Gary has always had corruption in its one hundred or so years, its a sad part of its history. It didn't hurt the city as bad (but it did) in the past as it does today. Gary isn't bad because it is poor and mostly black. It is bad because its has a culture of corruption. It starts in city government. It has big problems and nobody there wants to do what it takes for those problems to be solved. That's why outside "help" doesn't work either.

But it will take the citizens of Gary to allow the changes that would allow real changes. They will have to elect people to make sometimes unpopular choices that will take time to see the good. They cannot have politicians that will promise things they have no way of doing or don't actually do any good. Baseball stadiums won't fix Gary, but low crime and a good business climate would.

I think the only way that other residents of Lake County can do to help Gary is to root out corruption in county government. That actually helps everybody as corruption is no good for any Lake County resident.

We make jokes about the major government corruption we have in this county. We shouldn't tolerate it anymore. Nor should we allow it to grow either.

[WildWestDude]

If they completely bulldoze the city and sell the land as nice lakefront property, then there is no hope in the near future.

[artemis]

US Steel owns most of the lakefront. But I agree with plowing the rest of the city under.

[ozzy463]

This town isn't going anywhere but down the tubes and fast!!!!!!!

[Broadrippleguy]

Originally Posted by ozzy463

This town isn't going anywhere but down the tubes and fast!!!!!!!

and what about Freeman Wilson.
Ironic people will talk about the Corruption in Gary and NWI but never mention Freeman Wilson as a part of it.
So does that mean maybe she is that light of hope the city needs?
or Status Quo?

[artemis]

Status quo